


To Have, To Hold

by LadyNightingGaleofMilvania



Series: Alterverse [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: A WILD COR APPEARS!, Also called Masturbation, Amorous!Ignis, And sometimes when I update, Blow Jobs, Bosoms, Chapter 13 NSFW, Chapter 19 NSFW, Chapter 20 NSFW, Don't Judge Me, F/M, Flashbacks, Forward Ignis is Forward, Gladio doesn't want to listen to me, Gladio's still in the closet, I add tags as I write Chapters, I keep giving Gladio cringy one-liners, I love Talcott ok, I'll add more as I go, Iggy's not a morning person, Ignis needs coffee to function, M/M, Might update for random events, NOW WITH ADDED BETA, Poor pining Prompto, Pretty sure Noct has no idea, Prompto still crushes hard on Cindy, Rated M for future events, Self-fiddling, Shouldn't be too much though, Slow Burn, So much fiddling, So those will be changed, Some text is obviously for the game, Spoilers, Substantial Swords, Talcott is too cute for his own good!, There must be an orchestra in this fic, Why are their game faces so stiff, Why does Prompto keep coming off as whiny?, he's just so adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-11 08:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 71,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13520502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania/pseuds/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania
Summary: Ignis Scientia is the Royal Adviser of the young Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, to help the Prince in his royal duties in any way imaginable and goes above and beyond to do his job. Gladiolus Amicitia, whereas, is the sworn Shield to the same man and honor-bound to protect him at any cost. This is the story told from the POV of these two individuals, bringing to light some of the things that you may have missed or never noticed in the first place.You've heard the tale from Noctis, but what of Gladiolus Amicitia and Ignis Scientia? This story takes place a little before and during the events of the game. Who knows, maybe you'll find out things you never knew before? (Mind you, this is my telling and interpretation of events that happen throughout the game and its contents)





	1. Table of Contents

**Author's Note:**

> Alright guys, so I might be a little rusty seeing as this is my first solo work in nearly 5 years (man, has it really been that long?) And this is my first M/M work ever, so please be have mercy! Also: this story will flip flop between Ignis and Gladio on POV, but will remain in the third person.
> 
> Without further ado, I give you "To Have, To Hold"
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I figured I'd go ahead and put these up so that--in the case of people who are still in the process of playing--they don't happen upon any spoilers and will know how far to actually go in the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating this as I finish chapters and know that I'm actually much farther in this story and I want to keep a stash in the event that I happen upon any writer's blocks or any events happen in my life that would prevent me from writing. (Such as my husband and I trying to have kids, or I get very sick, or the like)

Legend:

 _**Main Story Mission** _  
_Side Mission_  
**Hunt**

Pre-game:

Contains chapters 1-3

Chapter 1: Departure

Contains chapters 4-8

⦁ _**The Pauper Prince**_  
⦁ _**Hunter Becomes the Hunted**_  
⦁ _**The Mutant Marauder**_  
⦁ _**The Errand Prince**_  
⦁ _**A Gentlemen's Agreement**_  
⦁ _**Ill Tidings**_

Chapter 2: No Turning Back

Contains chapters 9-11

⦁ _**Legacy**_  
⦁ _**The Power of Kings**_  
⦁ _**Declaration of War**_

Chapter 3: The Open World

Contains chapters 12-22

⦁ _**Burden of Expectation**_  
⦁ **Off with Their Heads!**  
⦁ **Ruler of the Brave Skies**  
⦁ _The Perfect Landscape_  
⦁ _**The Sword in the Waterfall**_  
⦁ _**The Way of Gods and Kings**_  
⦁ _Friends of a Feather_ **(A Behemoth Undertaking)**

Chapter 4: Living Legend

Contains chapters 22-23  
⦁ _**A Dubious Drive**_  
⦁ _ **Onward to the Disc**_  
⦁ ** _The Archaean  
_** ⦁ ** _The Trial of Titan_**

Chapter 5: Dark Clouds

Contains chapters 23-???

⦁  ** _The Hexatheon's Blessings_**

Chapter 6:

Chapter 7:

Chapter 8:

Chapter 9:

Chapter 10:

Chapter 11:

Chapter 12:

Chapter 13:

Chapter 14:

Chapter 15:


	2. Ignis

Ignis Scientia was in the middle of cooking lunch in his apartment, a rare commodity since he was always on-the-go, but King Regis and his son Noctis were in the middle of a meeting and by the King's good graces it was decided he could abstain. Deciding to use it to his advantage, he tried to catch up on the many things that usually fell to the wayside to be finished on the only day he typically had off: Sunday. Ignis had managed to clean his apartment spotless, catch up on at least 10 reports and documents that he had been meaning to read and take notes on--though unnecessary, Ignis prided himself on staying up-to-date in case any of it were to be needed,--and managed to pay several bills all before lunch. As he was plating his rice the phone buzzed in his pocket.  


**Amicitia (Gladiolus):** _Ya still gonna come to practice? Never known ya to be the late-type._  


Glancing at the clock Ignis sighed and finished moving his food from stove to plate before setting the dishes in the sink to be washed later. While he ate he decided to reply to the message.  


**Ignis Scientia:** _You do realize I still have an hour to get there, right? It's only 14:05. Is the clock broken in the training room again?_  


Ignis ate his meal in relative silence besides a random text from Prompto about some sort of music group called the "Chocobros" coming into a nearby town causing the bespectacled man to sigh. Prompto had managed to convince Ignis to turn on one of their cds while driving one day just so the younger man could finally stop hammering them about never having listened to the newly-formed group... Needless to say Ignis never committed that folly again.  


As he checked his phone for the time, Ignis decided to go ahead and drive over to the gym and meet Gladio for his training and subsequent workout. Grabbing his training bag from beside the door in the front hallway, he scooped his keys from the bowl on his side table he kept near the coat rack, not that he got many guests but the aesthetic was pleasing. As one of the people assigned to stay with the Crowned Prince at all times, Regis had reasonably requested that Ignis learn to fight and defend from attackers. He could find no flaw in the logic so Ignis had agreed after realizing that it would come in handy for himself as well, not only in the fact that it would help to improve his health, but he also realized after several years of training that he was nothing but lean muscle and it made him deceptively stronger than most would assume. As he pulled into the gym's parking lot Ignis spotted Gladio in his workout attire, consisting of little more than a set of gym shorts and a tank top that was slung over his shoulder, sweat glistened off his pectorals from obvious training with others. Gladiolus Amicitia, sworn Shield to the King--well Noctis was actually a Prince for now--the large man was leaned against the brick of the building and he was laughing with a trainee while another ran laps in the back area. Ignis parked and shut off his car, after taking a breath he grabbed his bag and opened the door and stepped out into the lot, feeling a gust of wind that promised rain later.  


"Hey Iggy! Ten minutes early, huh?" Gladio called, jogging to Ignis' side, "So that clock is broken again like you said, looks like a trainee for the Guard knocked it over and thought that putting it back up would just make everything better. He's running extra laps right now until I figure out something better suited, they can't go around breaking stuff and not reporting it, y'know?"  


"That's your field Gladiolus, not mine, and I trust that you will adequately deal with the issue. You would think that they would be more careful around the clock, however." Ignis stated plainly, "I'm going to change and warm up, you said you wanted to do something new today?"  


"Yeah," Gladio admitted, scratching the back of his head, trying to find the best way to broach the subject, "You... tend to get stiff when you attack or defend I've noticed over the years, you need to relax so today we're gonna do some stretches and maybe try some yoga or something. I find some yoga before and after is a good warm up and wind down."  


"You, into yoga?" Ignis couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Gladiolus doing some sort of silly stretch, "I never would have pegged you as the type."  


"Yeah, yeah, all the other Crownsguard laughed as well until I got some to do it. The difference is pretty impressive" Gladio admitted with a grin himself, "I didn't expect to like it so much myself, but it's pretty calming as well."  


As the two walked into the gym they headed toward the locker room to change or, in Gladiolus' case, exchange his already sweat-soaked shirt for his spare. Ignis found an unoccupied locker and proceeded to strip down, folding his clothes as he went and reaching for his bag's contents. Gladio was already walking out of the room, calling out to Iggy as he walked out.  


"I'll be waiting for you out there, don't take too long."  


Ignis checked his phone one more time before setting it into the locker and shoving his gym bag in it as well, locking it up as he slipped on his own set of Crownsguard-issued gym shorts and tank top. As he looked up he noticed that the locker room was completely empty for a change, everyone must have finished training for the day because of the predicted storm that was supposed to arrive later that day. Walking out to the main room, Ignis saw Gladio doing a series of stretches and contortions that didn't seem possible for a man his size, Ignis couldn't help but be impressed. He cleared his throat as he approached the behemoth of a man.  


"So how will we begin?" asked Ignis curiously.  


"Well first off we'll begin by just stretching, even if that's a good portion of what Yoga even is. Never hurts."  


Gladiolus led him through a series of stretches before easing him into a few basic Yoga poses. Ignis could feel his muscles stretch in ways he didn't expect them to, it was very relaxing however. _I might take it up in my spare time,_ Ignis thought to himself in passing, _perhaps before bed?_ It was filed away for later thought as Gladio nodded at him.  


"Nice to see you even somewhat relaxed, Iggy. Did you hear about what the meeting that the King pulled Noctis in is about?" Gladio asked, stretching into another pose.  


Shaking his head, Ignis regretfully replied, "No actually, but he did tell me that he planned on having you and I as well as Prompto in for a meeting here soon but he had yet to set a time. He said he would inform me immediately when he did as I have a very hectic schedule trying to do my job to assist the Prince in everything possible."  


"I wonder what's going on, I've heard Niflheim was trying to bring something up with the King and his Council, but I don't really know how accurate that would actually be." Gladiolus mentioned absently.  


"Fairly accurate actually."  


Suddenly rain began to pour from the sky and beat on the roof of the building, coming down in a torrential downpour that was like a wall of opaque water. Ignis looked at Gladio and cocked an eyebrow. Rubbing his neck Gladiolus grinned like a fool.  


"Looks like our outside plans got rained out. Indoor training it is today." Gladio laughed until he noticed something and started at Ignis, "Your stance is off, here I'll correct it."  


Gladio took Ignis' hips in his large hands and rotated them slightly, turning them at the same time. He quick jogged to the back door leading to the track and shouted that the kid out there could hit the showers and go home before he got sick. Afterward Gladio stepped back to stand facing Ignis and took the same pose up, leading Ignis into a few more poses before calling for an end to the stretches. Walking to the wall of practice weapons, Gladiolus tossed the twin daggers to Ignis, watching his lithe form catch both deftly before grabbing a sword himself. Gladiolus and Ignis both did some practice swings and movements to adjust to the weight before taking their stances. Ignis looked Gladio up and down, examining him and paying close attention to every movement he made, waiting for the hint of what he was planning...  


Suddenly like lightning Gladio lunged forward, jabbing with the sword and Ignis deflected it with one dagger while lashing out with the other. Gladiolus dodged and turned about to face Ignis again who was already moving to attack with a quick flurry of motions, putting Gladio on the defensive. Taking several steps back to try and attempt a combination of deflections and dodges Ignis managed to hit Gladio's side before getting his own wrist caught in the other man's big hand and tossed aside, knocking Ignis off-balance as the Shield charged again. Ignis rolled into a less prone position when his back hit the wall, startling him and causing Gladio to almost hit him with an "end blow". Ignis pushed out from the wall and dove between Gladio's legs to escape, sweat was beginning to drip into his eyes from the physical exertion between the warm up, Yoga, and then subsequent practice. Their practice blades met again and again as their session went on, Ignis going from offensive to defensive then back again, using his athletic ability in his favor as he jumped, leaped, and flipped out of reach several times when Gladio swung at him.  


As sweat was beginning to soak his hair, he noticed that Gladio's hair was becoming soaked as well; they had to be going on almost an hour, surely. Suddenly as Ignis zipped his left hand out to Gladiolus' side again he caught it but Ignis was expecting that, so he snaked a long leg out to try and knock the great brute down and use his weight against him when Gladio blocked Ignis' leg and used the kinetic force to knock him off to the floor which rendered his plan useless and, thanks to Gladiolus using his behemoth strength to his advantage and sitting on top of the skinnier man to pin him, lay the wooden "point" against Ignis' throat.  


"Checkmate." Gladiolus declared triumphantly, waiting for Ignis to concede to the defeat.  


"I yield." Ignis admitted, cheeks blushed from exertion.  


Gladio stood up and offered his hand out to let Ignis up as both men huffed out staggered breaths, this training session had been more intense and Ignis could definitely see the difference that the Yoga had made; he would surely have to incorporate it into his daily routine both for practice and life. Ignis made his way to the weapon's rack and put his daggers up with his training partner not far behind to do the same as well. Patting Ignis on the back Gladio motioned with his thumb to the changing room and then tapped his wrist with two fingers.  


_Ah,_ Ignis thought to himself, _training is up. Time to go home through the downpour._  


"Ah, Iggy..." Gladio started, looking out the windows as he entered the changing room first, "I, ah... kinda walked here today... My car is in the shop because it wasn't running right, think I could bum a ride?"  


Ignis thought about it for a moment but nodded, "Not a problem, you can stay at my residence until the rain decides to let up as well, unless you have anything to do that requires going to your place seeing as it's much farther away in the city?"  


Gladiolus shrugged and put on a lopsided grin, "Not really, don't have much to do today other than hit the showers, Iris is spending the night at a friend's house so I don't really have anything to do today."  


Ignis sighed, he too needed a shower, but hadn't remembered to pack his towel, a rare moment of forgetfulness on his part. He guessed he would just have to wash his clothes and change once he showered at his own place. There were a few reports at his house that Gladiolus needed to see anyway so he thought that it was harmless to throw the offer out there, besides it would be nice to have such a perfect specimen of masculinity inside his home... That thought stopped Ignis short with his shirt halfway off, where had that thought come from? He shook off the thought, perhaps it was just from overexerting himself from practice. He had given up on Gladio years ago so why was he thinking about that now? Pulling his tank top the rest of the way off his head, Ignis then removed his gym shorts, using the top for a makeshift towel and trying to wipe some of the sweat from his brow as much as he could before putting his shirt and pants back on. As he placed the sweaty clothes back into the bag and zipped it Gladio came out from the shower with nothing more than his towel wrapped around his waist.  


"You did pretty good today, Iggy. Told you there'd be a difference." Gladio praised, winking an eye while heading to his own locker to change back into his normal attire.  


Gladio removed the towel and dried his body before putting on his boxers and dark-wash jeans, holding off on his shirt as he tried to dry his hair that lie in a tangled mess on his head.  


"You not gonna hit the showers?" Gladio questioned, motioning with one hand by jerking his thumb behind himself while still drying his hair off with his free hand, the other trainee must have left while they were still sparring because he was nowhere in sight.  


"Forgot my towel," Ignis admitted plainly, shrugging as he slung his gym bag over his shoulder.  


Gladio mimed shock, grasping at his chest and leaning theatrically against the set of lockers and let out a loud gasp for added dramatic effect.  


"The perfect Ignis Scientia, _forgetting something_?" he exclaimed, dropping his towel to grab his shirt.  


"I am still only human, Gladio." Ignis couldn't help but chuckle at the melodramatics, "If you're done I still have at least half a dozen reports to read and documents to type up before tomorrow, there's a few you may want to peek at that pertains to Noct and future plans."  


Straightening up from the lockers Gladiolus pulled his maroon t-shirt over his head and nodded, shoving his clothes into a bag and slinging it over his shoulder, "Let's get going then."  


The two ran to Ignis' car, getting soaked in the process. Ignis huffed in frustration as he unlocked the doors after seeing that his umbrella was sitting in the driver's seat, unscheduled days off always threw him. Tossing the umbrella and bag in the back he sat in his seat, Gladio copied him in every action but the seat belt. Ignis eyed him, his gaze resting heavily on the bigger man who shifted uncomfortably under the look.  


"Fasten your restraint, if you would, please. Road conditions are not at their best and I will not risk more severe injury in my car, would ill fortune befall us."  


Meeting Ignis' eyes Gladio sighed, seeing the steely resolve that told him he wouldn't win this argument. Reaching his hand over his right shoulder, Gladio clicked the buckle into place and Ignis began to drive into the rain. It was hard to see far in front of the hood of the car so Ignis became focused on the road and left any conversation by the wayside in exchange for a safe drive back to his place a dozen blocks away, tucking the car neatly into the garage parking of the complex. As Ignis shifted the gear into park Gladio had already unbuckled and was halfway out of the car, his skin starting to look slightly green.  


"Gladio!" Ignis couldn't help but reprimand, although if Gladiolus were to be sick he couldn't help but rather it not be in his car.  


"Sorry, Iggy." Gladio struggled to say through clammy skin and nausea, "I'm not actually a big fan of cars without the top or windows down, don't tell Noctis or Prompto."  


Ignis grabbed both bags from the back seat as he sighed, opting to leave the umbrella since there was an indoor stairway up from where they were parked. Motioning with Gladio's bag Ignis made his way to the door leading upward, waiting patiently for the other man to recover and make his way over. Two flights of stairs later Ignis was sliding the key into the lock of his front door turning and opening it to the familiar surroundings of his wonderful and neat abode. He walked into his bedroom, setting the two bags in the washroom along the way. Once inside his room he made his way to the dresser and opened several drawers, selecting a pair of khaki slacks and a purple collared shirt with a white undershirt to go below it. He set them on the bed before walking quickly back into the living room, finding that Gladio had decided to sprawl comfortably on the couch.  


"Here are the reports," Ignis told him, walking to the bookshelf he had in a corner and grabbing several large reports to set on top of the coffee table by Gladio's feet, "If you'll excuse me I'll try to find you something dry before I jump into the shower."  


Gladio nodded, face serious as he immediately dove into the first set of documents. Ignis had a deep respect for the man, he could joke around but when it came to Noctis he became as serious as his role both required and demanded that he be. Ignis began to look in his bedroom closet before coming across the perfect outfit and walking back out.  


"Will these suffice? I believe they should be about your size," he asked, handing the large pair of sweatpants and an XL black shirt.  


"Damn Iggy, these are perfect. You been saving these just for me?" Gladio laughed jokingly.  


"Not really, but I can always keep them on hand should this become a more frequent occasion." Ignis replied, suddenly coy.  


That stopped them both short, Ignis could feel the flush begin to creep up his neck and over his face before clearing his throat and quickly excusing himself to the bath, closing his bedroom door hurriedly behind him. _Stupid, stupid!_ he berated himself, _I can't afford to make things any more awkward. You've been over this before Scientia, Gladiolus already turned you down years ago. Be professional, 'Noctis comes first' he said last time, it's what you need to remember._ He couldn't help but repeat _'Stupid, stupid!'_ to himself as he let the water run to warm up. Stripping down to nothing but his bare skin, he pushed his hair back and stared at his own reflection in the mirror.  


"He wasn't into you then, why would he be now?" Ignis muttered to his doppelganger staring back at him through the other side of the reflective surface.  


He changed the water from faucet to shower head, placing his glasses onto the side of the sink. Ignis hung his towel on the rack and stepped into the hot stream of water, taking a deep breath to try and clear his mind. For years he had worked to block his feelings for Gladiolus, tried not to imagine what the feel of his godlike physique against his own slight and lithe form would be, how his eyes glowed like honeyed sunlight and how he always smelled like Eos and books...  


It wasn't working, gods be damned. He would have to start from step one all over again, not the easiest task but Ignis was nothing if not determined. Washing his hair and body vigorously, Ignis rinsed off quickly before shutting off the water and shuddering at the sudden lack of warmth. Toweling himself dry, Ignis walked back into his room and looked out the window at the sheets of rain coming down as though the Leviathan were at the Crown City's doorstep. The downpour wasn't going to stop anytime soon, the weather reports were wrong already, it had said that the rain should have been slight... Suddenly light filled the room, going away just as quickly and he was washed in darkness. A shout in the living room told him that it wasn't just that light as Gladiolus must have become bathed in darkness as well. Quickly making the way to his bed, Ignis threw on his clothes and fumbled around the room for a flashlight.


	3. Gladiolus

Gladio tried to read over the military report, but he couldn't help thinking back to what Ignis had said. _"But I can always keep them should this occasion happen more often."_ and that damn smirk! Gladiolus was glad for his luck of rarely blushing or he would have probably turned redder than a Lucian Tomato. _Focus, idiot!_ he berated himself, the reports weren't anything he hadn't already heard from his father, but it was always good to make sure with an actual document rather than just word-of-mouth. He managed to read through the entirety of the first report after about 30 minutes of distraction, but when he reached for the second document titled "Covenant" a bright flash of light enveloped the room before darkness seized the apartment, causing Gladio to let out a startled yell.  


"Just a moment and I can supply you with a light!" he heard Ignis call from his bedroom.  


"It's all good Iggy, the power outage just caught me off guard is all." Gladio called back reassuringly.  


Ignis soon appeared with two flashlights and a box of matches, giving one flashlight to Gladiolus while he used the other to go through the cupboards after setting down the matchbox. Hearing Ignis mutter to himself about candles, Gladio walked over to help light each space up more for easier viewing. Eventually the skinnier man found several candles and scooped them into one arm while holding the flashlight in the other as they made their way back to the living room. Iggy began to set up the candles on the spare space on the coffee and side tables as Gladiolus would light them with the matches.  


"Some storm, huh Iggy?" Gladio asked, his tone light and joking.  


"Mmmm," Ignis hummed in agreement, the candles casting an almost ethereal glow on his face, "Quite."  


"Y'know, you look different without your glasses." Gladio pointed out, "Don't think I ever seen you without your usual 'do either."  


Ignis moved his left hand to run it through his dirty blond hair as though he were suddenly self-conscious about his appearance.  


"No, no!" Gladiolus reassured, grabbing his hand with his own left and moving it away, "You look good... Ah Six, but I'm gods awful at this stuff..."  


"Awful at what?" Ignis struggled to say after a moment of piercing silence.  


"Well reassurance for one thing," Gladiolus chuckled harshly, "Iris loves to remind me that I don't really have a way with words sometimes."  


Gladio could see how tense Ignis was becoming, pain conflicting with some other emotion that he couldn't see because of the flickering candlelight casting shadows on the younger man's face. Thinking back to all the words they had exchanged, Gladiolus couldn't figured out what it could possibly be until he felt a slight tug on his left hand. _His hand!_  


"Oh shit, sorry Iggy!" Gladiolus sputtered, however he found himself unable to let go of the slim hand.  


Ignis' breathing hitched--there it was again! That other emotion that Gladiolus could almost make out, something about it was so familiar and it teased at the edge of his mind.  


"G-Gladio..." Ignis stammered out in a whisper with eyes wide open and staring at Gladiolus' lips, breathing shallow and mouth parted slightly.  


Just his name was enough to interrupt his thoughts enough to realize that he had slowly, ever slowly, moved closer and closer to Ignis' face with his own. It was almost magnetic how Gladiolus felt drawn to the man in front of him. His heart was hammering in his chest as though trying to escape and his stomach clenched with nerves before he realized what was reflecting in those wonderfully green eyes: want, _need._  


"Ignis..." Gladio couldn't stop himself from saying.  


The skinnier man let out an odd noise and immediately flicked those green eyes to meet his own amber ones. Lightning flooded through Gladio's veins, jolting up his spine like he'd never felt before; his stomach was doing flip-flops now and he unconsciously leaned forward, able to taste Ignis' breath which ignited a flame equal to his namesake. Their lips touched and Gladiolus felt the advisor's fingers lacing through with his own as Ignis shifted forward against the larger man, moving into his lap with his legs on either side while Gladiolus set the flashlight down and placed his now free right hand on Ignis' hip and met that hunger with his own.  


Ignis was the one who broke away first, "Gladio, what about--"  


Gladiolus cut him off with a growl, "No, I've wanted to do this for a _long_ time, believe it or not."  


Gladiolus moved to kiss Ignis again when the lights suddenly flared back on, breaking the spell that had overtook them both. The two sat like that for several moments, the only sound in the room other than the rain being their labored breaths. Ignis was the first to regain his faculties and had a sudden look of horror and fear on his face as he tried to remove himself from Gladiolus' lap. Instinctively Gladio tightened the grip his massive hands had on Ignis' own hand and hip, locking the slim man in place helplessly.  


"Gladio," Ignis said, his voice growing husky, "'Noct comes first' that's what you told me three years ago when I confessed to you."  


"I was also younger and dumber then." Gladiolus replied, letting go of the other man's hand to slide his own up his thigh only to slip under the shirt to rest on the small of Ignis' back.  


It felt like the Infernian himself had set fire to his hand as soon as he felt Ignis' soft skin under his fingertips, causing Gladiolus to pull him closer and stared into his eyes. Heat was pooling low in his body and he could feel the other man begin to throb, betraying what Ignis was feeling. A knock at the door interrupted anything further. Ignis managed to scramble off Gladio's lap and hastily straightened out his clothes, artfully adjusting his pants to hide whatever embarrassment he most definitely would have at answering the door half hard.  


"Just a moment." Ignis called, voice cracking toward the end.  


Gladio had gotten up himself and blown out the candles, sitting back on the couch and peering over his shoulder at the front door behind him.When Ignis opened it Cor was standing there.  


"Ignis, Gladiolus." Cor greeted, nodding at the pair, "Do you two have a moment?"  


"Of course, come in." Ignis replied, stepping aside and motioning into the apartment.  


As Cor stepped inside Gladio glanced at the "Covenant" folder, flipping it open and looking at the first page noting the pictures of the Royal Arms and their matching kings. Turning the page he found more detailed information on each weapon and corresponding king such as burial sites, weapon types, more detailed descriptions about each weapon, and coordinates. Cor spoke up as Gladio absently turned several pages of the information for each particular Royal Armament.  


"I'm here to deliver a message to the two of you and Prompto. Kid wouldn't happen to be here too, would he?"  


"Nah, he's been practicing like crazy at the Range. Never seen that kid so fired up." Gladio told him, shrugging. "What's going on?"  


Cor was silent until Ignis closed the door, looking between the two he sighed in frustration, "We were contacted by Niflheim."  


Shock registered on their faces. _How could those damn Niffs be here?_ Gladiolus thought angrily. Ignis had already recovered and was asking questions.  


"That's why His Highness told me to read over 'Covenant'..." Ignis muttered, "What are the terms? Does it have to do with the meeting that the King told me he was going to call us for?"  


"It is, he's hoping to talk to you guys tomorrow morning. The terms though..." Cor gritted his teeth as he bit out the words, "Their terms are for our surrender though we would keep reign over Insomnia itself, however Prince Noctis must marry Lunafreya."  


"But what does _that_ ," Gladio said, pointing first at Cor, then the document that he had been flipping through, "have to do with _this_? Are we not accepting?"  


"The King is suspicious at the very least and wants to cover all his bases. The prophecy has him worried, though he won't admit to it." Answered Cor.  


"So what's going to happen?" Ignis asked.  


"The two of you, Prompto, and Noctis are going to travel to Galdin Quay in several days and then set sail to Altissia so that the Prince can attend his wedding. You're to follow that plan unless things turn sour." Cor sighed, "Hopefully Regis is just being paranoid."  


Cor spent a few more moments standing there in silence, seeming to steel himself. He then said his farewells so that he could search for Prompto and deliver the same news, "Study the documents." Cor reminded them as he shut the door behind himself.  


The room went painfully silent between the tension from earlier and the new tension brought on by this development from Cor.  


"Shall we... read the report as requested?" Ignis asked, looking at Gladio with wary eyes.  


"Noct first, right?" Gladiolus sighed, feeling defeated.  


He should've known that Iggy would have moved on by now, he was a fool to think otherwise. Gladio peered back over to the folder in front of him and looked at the picture on the page: Shield of the Just, Disc- Thommel's Glade. It had a location marked on the map beside it.  


"So it shows the known locations of all the Arms?" Ignis asked quietly, almost to himself while flipping several pages, "We could always take this with us when we take our leave for Altissia, this is actually my copy of the report."  


"Yeah, that makes sense." Gladio said, nodding as Ignis closed the folder, "Listen Iggy, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, you were right: Noct comes first. I should know better, huh?"  


Ignis moved to say something when Gladio waved him off, shaking his head sadly.  


"Nah, forget it, we'll just keep moving on. I won't mention it again." he promised with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.  


"How about," Ignis began hesitantly, "We sleep on the issue and come back to it tomorrow?"  


Gladiolus stared at the other man for several long minutes, the silence in the room deafening over the rain pelting the windows. Finally deciding to give in, Gladio nodded.  


"So we're to set sail to Altissia in a few days time. I imagine, should all go well, that our things will be sent to us." Ignis said, trying to change the subject since Gladio clearly wanted to avoid it further.  


"Yeah, I'd imagine so. What do you make of the 'Covenant' though." Gladio absently nodded as he spoke.  


"I don't quite know, to be completely honest. It hasn't been done in quite some time and very few text remain describing it in almost any part, seeing as the last time it was forged was some two millennia ago. I would think that anything in this is what little is known." Ignis admitted, shrugging with a troubled look on his face.  


Gladio tried hard not to think about his slip-up but couldn't help from being distracted by it in thinking that Ignis had wanted him as much as he wanted Ignis, but then the question was: Why did Iggy react that way then? Why had he kissed him back? Surely Gladiolus hadn't just _imagined_ that look that Ignis had given him while the room was only lit by the candles...  


_Or maybe you're just projecting your emotions onto the man, let it go._ Gladio reminded himself, _Noct comes first, as his Shield he should always come first._  


The sun had since set and the room was simply aglow with the light from the ceiling, the rain hadn't let up and it was still thundering outside. Ignis was saying something but Gladio simply couldn't focus until he realized that Ignis was staring at him expectantly.  


"What?" Gladiolus said dumbly, unaware of what Ignis had even been saying.  


"I asked if you wanted to sleep on the couch since the rain just seems to be coming down harder and the sun has since set?" Ignis asked again, still looking at Gladio expectantly.  


"Are you sure? I don't wanna make you uncomfortable or put you out." Gladiolus asked.  


"It would be no trouble, and we could carpool to the palace in the morning." Ignis was interrupted by a sudden call, he looked at the screen for all of two seconds when he answered it with a quick swipe of his fingers and put the device to his ear.  


"Highness." Ignis greeted formally, pausing to listen to the other end, "No sir, I should be able to make that happen." Another pause to listen to who Gladio could only assume was King Regis himself. "Seven tomorrow morning?" Ignis looked at Gladio who grimaced at the early hour, "No sir, that should do just fine. I shall inform Gladiolus posthaste. Thank you, sir."  


Ignis hung up and looked at Gladio whose grimace turned into an outright groan.  


"I _hate_ early mornings," Gladiolus moaned, annoyed, "If the sun ain't up then I don't wanna be either."  


"Don't worry, I'll have already made coffee by then. I'm not a morning person by any means either, Gladio, but a good pot of dark brew Ebony does do wonders."

********

Gladio smelled the coffee before he even fully woke up, nose twitching at the aroma as he sat up. Blinking several times before anything really came into focus he realized that Ignis was standing hunched over the coffee pot with two cups placed haphazardly on the counter mumbling nonsense under his breath.  


"Mornin' Iggy." Gladio yawned, looking at the clock on his phone and wincing at the sudden bright light: 5:42 am.  


Ignis looked blearily at him, irritation clear as day: he was obviously not a morning person. Gladiolus noticed that his hair was sticking up everywhere and he was half-dressed with pajama pants and a half buttoned silver collard shirt with several buttons in the wrong holes. Gladio stood up and slowly walked toward the other obviously tired man and they both turned their attentions to the coffee which slowly dripped into the quarter full pot. He watched Ignis growl at the machine and pull the pot off its stand and begin to pour the hot liquid into his mug before returning it to its proper spot. Taking a long sip of what must have been a scalding hot brew, Ignis seemed to take it in stride as he shuffled back into the bedroom without another word.  


Gladio couldn't help but chuckle, and he thought that _he_ hated mornings. He had never seen that man before his morning Ebony and now he could see why, that would definitely turn some heads in the palace. Cracking open the refrigerator Gladiolus looked to see if there was any creamer in there and found a limited _Sweet Duscae Orange_ that only came out around this time of year. Shrugging he pulled it out and closed the door, slowly moving his still-tired feet to Ignis' bedroom door to knock.  


"Hey, uh, Iggy? Hate to bother you but I wanted to make sure if it was cool that I use some of that creamer in your fridge?"  


Silence. Was he even listening, or did he fall back asleep? Gladiolus hesitantly knocked again and almost immediately the door opened and Ignis--with his cup two-thirds drunk already!--looked slightly more awake with his buttons at least fixed on his shirt. He seemed to be unconsciously glaring from over his mug as he took a large gulp with it still steaming.  


"Go ahead, just don't use it all." Ignis answered flatly, taking the bottle away for a moment and opening it with one-hand and his thumb, splashing some in his own cup and swirling it. He handed the bottle back still open and he turned to prepare himself for the day, closing the door again without another word.  


Definitely not a morning person, then. Gladio walked back into the kitchen as he poured some of the creamer in his cup, placing it back into the fridge and pouring the now half-full pot into his mug until it was to the brim. He took a tentative sip of the coffee after a moment of blowing and burned his tongue on the caffeinated drink. How could Ignis have just straight gulped it down! The man must be mad to drink flames that could only equate to something from Ifrit himself. Iggy's bedroom opened again with a now fully-dressed Ignis--though he was missing his tie, glasses, and his normal hair do.  


"Oh my sweet Ebony, only the Astrals could have made something as sweet and perfect as you." The shorter man murmured lovingly into his empty cup, clutching the thing as though it held the key to life while he beelined for the pot.  


Ignis poured another cup of coffee and, after again placing the pot back into the machine, he turned to lean against the counter as he drank the cup almost as quickly as the first. Gladio watched as he poured himself at least five cups before six even hit, forgetting completely about the cup in his hands as he watched in an almost horrified fascination as the man performed his crazy feat.  


"Ah, nothing like a good cup of coffee to start your day." Ignis declared happily, setting down his newly empty cup to stretch, "If you don't drink that soon it'll grow cold."  


Gladio started and began to drink his coffee as Ignis walked over to his washroom and pulled out the Shield's workout clothes, handing them to the large and muscular man.  


"They're dry, but we're expected at the palace in," Ignis checked his phone, squinting at the sudden light but adjusting quickly, "50 minutes. I imagine that's just enough time to bring you by your house so you can have a change of clothes."  


Gladiolus nodded and drained his cup, rinsing it quickly in the sink before grabbing his clothes to change. Ignis went back into his room but left his door open this time as Gladio quickly changed from his makeshift pajamas to his now clean clothes from the day before. Unsure of what to do with the old clothes, he draped them carefully over the end of the couch and ran his fingers through his hair as a makeshift comb. Ignis came out about five minutes later with his hair done and his glasses on his face, no sign of the earlier grumpiness that he displayed as he adjusted a tie around his neck.  


"If you're ready, we can set out for your home." Ignis said, moving to put on his shoes as they both headed toward the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Gladio is one of the most infuriating characters I've ever had to write because he just does his own thing. Lol. Anyway, I plan on updating every first Monday of the month. Eventually when everything is finished I'l also have a "Table of Contents" kind of chapter in case anybody doesn't want spoilers that is still playing the game.  
> Also, I had WAY too much fun in Ignis' actions in the morning, but I just couldn't help it.


	4. Ignis

Ignis sat in his parked car outside of the Amicitia Manor as Gladiolus quickly ran inside to change, checking the phone he looked at the time: 6:35 am. Not too much longer until the three of them were expected at the palace in front of Regis. Typing in Prompto's number he hit the call button and listened to the ring until Prompto picked up.

"Heya, Iggy!" Prompto greeted, his voice cheery on the other end.

"I just wanted to see if you were up so we could all meet at the palace." Ignis replied, looking at the door to the house, where on Eos was Gladio?

"Don't worry Iggy, I'll be there." Prompto reassured, voice serious. "Cor ran me through everything and the King called me last night once I got home."

Gladiolus finally appeared out of the door of his house and jogged to the car.

"Gladio and I shall meet you there then, Prompto." Ignis informed before saying goodbye and hanging up.

"Trouble finding your clothes?" Ignis asked sarcastically as the Shield jumped into the vehicle and buckled up.

"Actually," Gladio began, "I did. Apparently I'm outta clean pants."

"Well at least you found something." Ignis conceded with an exasperated sigh, pulling his car away and onto the road in the direction of the palace. "Prompto is going to meet us there. Hopefully we're not late."

They managed to make it there with ten minutes to spare. Prompto was pacing nervously on the steps, however he stopped when he saw the two walking towards him.

"Heya guys, ready to go in?" Prompto asked, obviously trying to mask his nerves with a grin.

"Yes, let's." Ignis replied, straightening the cuffs on his shirt.

As the trio walked in they headed immediately toward their destination: a large throne room, big enough for any audience that may be required. This time, however, it appeared to only house the King himself, Cor, Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis respectively.

_Something secret and very need-to-know basis only,_ Ignis thought to himself.

As soon as they were to the steps that led to the throne the large double doors were closed behind them, the loud _**BOOM**_ echoing against the walls. The three bowed respectively with murmurs of "Highness" and "Majesty".

"I trust you three all know why you have been summoned and understand the early hour?" King Regis began, waiting for their nods of ascent before continuing, "I am aware that the Treaty is already public knowledge, but I want you three to safely escort my son to Altissia to marry his bride-to-be, Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret."

"When are we to set out?" Ignis asked matter-of-factly.

"Early tomorrow morning, so pack only what you need with some to spare should the worst come to pass." Regis grimaced and added quietly, "Hopefully the Astrals will smile upon us."

After a few moments of heavy silence Regis told them to be back at 7 again that next morning to set out before dismissing the three and Cor.

"Heh heh, so we're gonna go on a roadtrip." Prompto laughed gleefully pretending to take snapshots with an invisible camera. "Sounds like a great time to get some pictures in with my baby."

"I'm gonna have to pack my camping gear, gods I'd hate to somehow get caught under the stars with no tent or sleeping bags. Nothin' like pitching a tent and cooking over an open campfire, though." Gladio said to himself with a smile despite everything going on.

"You'll be taking the Regalia when you go, so if you three want to go ahead and pack then you can load up your gear now and set off immediately tomorrow." Cor offered, "I'll be clearing it out for a bit and checking what I can on her before she goes with all of you tomorrow."

"Probably a good idea" Ignis admitted with a nod. "Gladio, since you seem to still be without your vehicle and live the furthest do you want to start at your residence to pack before moving to mine so we can finish? I know you have quite a bit of gear, and two pairs of hands are generally more productive than one."

Gladio thought for a moment before he replied, "Yeah, thanks. Sounds like a plan, Iggy. My car wouldn't be out of the shop until after we left tomorrow anyways."

The four split off, with Ignis and Gladiolus driving back to the Amicitia Manor to pack up Gladio's things. As soon as they arrived Ignis immediately offered to throw the other man's laundry into the washer while the packing commenced. Gladio conceded while digging through his camping equipment, trying to figure out what would be necessary as he pulled things out. Ignis began a load of clothes on a "quick wash" setting so the older man would have something to actually pack, as he walked back into Gladiolus' room--knocking on the door for the sake of politeness, of course--the Shield had begun to set things aside.

"Is this the camping gear that you plan on bringing?" Ignis asked politely, indicating the growing pile.

"Yeah, just trying to figure out if we need more or if that's enough." Gladio said absently, only glancing at the stuff before digging his head back into the closet.

Ignis began to move the items from Gladio's bedroom to the living room, looking at the various things as he went. So far the pile seemed to contain a tent with room enough for the four of them, four folding chairs, four sleeping bags, a cooking station--much to Ignis' surprise--along with some simple things like a first aid kit and a few miscellaneous supplies to secure the tent, or protect it from the elements whether it was put away or set up. By the time he had finished the clothes had washed and he switched them over to the dryer. He heard the front door open and, when he peeked his head out, saw Gladio beginning to haul his supplies to Ignis' car.

"It's locked, you know." Ignis called, turning the dryer on and walking out to help Gladiolus.

All that was left that Gladio didn't have in his arms were the first aid kit and the four chairs. Taking two of the chairs in each hand and tucking the kit under one arm, Ignis walked out with the other man, popping the trunk with a button on his keys.

"I forget how much you can carry at once." Ignis said dryly as they tried to maneuver all the equipment into his trunk.

It was a tight fit, but after a bit of maneuvering, re-positioning, and replacing they managed to fit all the camping gear into the trunk with some extra room that would fit more. When Ignis firmly shut the trunk of his car Gladio cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke up.

"I think we need to talk about last night, Iggy..."

Ignis froze in his tracks with his hand still on the hood of the trunk, his body going rigid. He tried not to remember the feel of Gladiolus' hand intertwined with his, or how it felt when that large hand had decided to find its way up his leg and under his shirt to rest on the small of his back... He really wasn't good at this. Trying to distract himself from the memory and the beginnings of the blush he felt crawling up his neck toward his face he hummed distractedly in reply.

"What part in particular?" he asked, staring at the reflection of the man that he could see shifting in his rear window without directly looking at him.

"You know exactly what part, Iggy." Gladiolus pressed, stepping closer.

Ignis stopped breathing for a moment, overwhelmed by the sudden topic.

"What about it, Gladio?"

"Well, I know that it was kinda outta nowhere when I kissed you, but you didn't seem to object when you kissed me back..." The larger man started, Ignis could see that he was grasping at words to try and continue. "Do you... do you still have feelings for me?"

_So he finally asked,_ Ignis thought to himself, _I didn't think that he would actually ask. Maybe it's finally time..._

"I..." Ignis began but had to stop, how to say it?

Ignis felt Gladio's large hand on his shoulder as he turned to look at the man, green eyes meeting amber ones.

"I need to know Iggy, please..." Gladiolus begged, placing his other hand on Ignis' opposing arm and squeezing lightly.

"When you rejected my affections I won't lie and tell you that I didn't put myself back out there, because I did. I tried to forget about you--even managed to date a couple other guys--but none of them could ever compare to you. Every time I looked at them I could only see your face..." The words tumbled from Ignis' mouth and he was helpless to stop it, clearing his throat and looking away he went on, "Between that and the fact that as Retainer to the Prince I pretty much am already married to my work, none of them lasted long or got anywhere close to serious."

"Then why don't we try to make this work? And don't throw those words back at me again," Gladio said, looking seriously at Ignis who had opened his mouth to procure those very words that Gladio had said before to himself. "Surely there's a way that we can have both. We're allowed to have some sort of personal life."

Ignis searched deep into his thoughts, trying to figure out if there was a way for them to even have the remotest possibility of any sort of relationship even whilst on the road. When he had come to a conclusion he spoke up.

"We just might be able to, but we must _always_ put Noct first. He is the Prince and our jobs demand that he must come before anything else. This doesn't mean that we are official but... it's a start." Ignis finally said.

Gladio's eyes lit up with joy as Ignis finished, a grin plastered wide on his face as he nodded. They went back inside after that to wait on Gladio's clothes.

 

***********************************************

 

As Ignis packed a small suitcase with clothes, hiding the "Covenant" folder in between two collared button-ups, he grabbed a few magic flasks in case they ran into any daemons on the road. Pausing he could feel a heaviness in the air, his Prince was finally taking those final steps towards becoming King, and they might not be coming back to the city for some time. That fact of this quite possibly being the last time he could call that apartment "home" was bittersweet to him.

Ignis could hear Gladiolus rustling around his kitchen, the banging of the pots and pans echoing through the apartment loud and clear. As the blond man shut his suitcase and drug it into his living room he found that Gladio had set his Ebony coffee bags on the table.

"Gladio, as much as I love my coffee, why is it on the coffee table?" Ignis asked with an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well," Gladiolus began, laughing triumphantly as he pulled out a small coffee grinder from a bottom cabinet he had been hunched in, "as hilarious as it is to watch you struggle to angrily function in the morning before your coffee, I think we should make sure to keep it in stock. I even have a metal pot that you can make it in."

"I'm not angry in the morning." Ignis grumbled resentfully, bristling slightly in embarrassment at the thought.

"Well you sure as hell aren't cheerful." Gladio snorted.

"I do have a cooler for long trips so I can keep some canned Ebony on hand."

"Well then we can bring that too."

Suddenly Ignis perked up, whipping his phone out with fingers flying as he pulled up text conversations from Noctis and began typing away at the screen.

_**Ignis Scientia:** Noct, what do you think of me cooking a feast tonight in celebration of the treaty and your subsequent engagement?_

_**Noct:** Sure Specs but a feast for the two of us what about Gladio or Prompto you know hell whine if he finds out you cooked and didnt let him have any again_

Inwardly Ignis groaned at the Prince's text. He hated that Noctis didn't use punctuation, but at least he had started to actually spell the words correctly... mostly...

_**Ignis Scientia:** I was going to suggest inviting them so that they may possibly attend as well. I would regret for all the food in my fridge to go to waste._

_**Noct:** K ill text them_

_**Ignis Scientia:** No need to text Gladio, he's helping me pack._

Ignis hit send, he felt like it needed more context but shook it off. Noct wouldn't immediately go jumping to any odd conclusions, after all he had no clue about the night before or the resulting conversation at the Amicitia Manor.

"After we get packed and everything has been subsequently stowed in the Regalia I will have to begin my work for the day. Do you need me to give you a ride anywhere for things you might need to do today?" Ignis said, taking the coffee grinder and setting it next to the coffee.

"Nah, not really. Already had today off. Ironic since today we'll be packing." Gladio replied, he stopped and thought for a moment, "Actually you might wanna to drop me off at Prompto's place, he probably needs help packing. Kid seemed really out of it at all of this, can't say I blame him."

One thing that both Gladiolus and Ignis knew was that Prompto actually had a large crush on Noctis but could never bring himself to confess, now it was too late. Even if he seemed content at just being the best friend or even a figurative brother they both knew that it had to be hurting him.

"Probably for the best, I'll drop you off and load up our baggage into the Regalia myself. Shouldn't be much trouble." Ignis agreed, nodding as he spoke, "Might as well mention that I plan on cooking a feast tonight here to prevent my food from spoiling, that should distract him."

"I shouldn't be surprised that you would want to cook all your food to keep it from wasting." Gladio chuckled, seeming to be excited at the prospect none the less.

"Well since this seems to be all that I'll be bringing we might as well head out, I have loose ends to tie up today as well as general work that must be done." Ignis said with a tone of finality as he put the bag of Ebony in his suitcase carefully along with the small coffee grinder and zipped the bag back up, "My ice chest is under the sink."

Gladio fetched the ice chest from its spot and they headed out. Ignis dropped off Gladiolus at Prompto's home and drove off to the Regalia's parking spot at the palace garage. Cor was there checking the tires and cleaning off the inside of the car when Ignis pulled up.

"Dropping off your things?" Cor asked, watching Ignis nod in confirmation. "I'll pop the trunk and you can begin the transfer."

As Cor reached into the driver's seat of the Regalia to push a button her trunk opened and Ignis opened his own trunk to begin moving belongings from one trunk to the other. It took some maneuvering, but eventually everything had its own neat and tidy spot with plenty of room for Prompto and Noctis' things. Ignis closed both trunks and nodded to Cor as he left to work.

 

************************************

 

A half dozen short meetings later and Ignis was done with the boring part of his day. Bracing himself he looked at his phone, it had been buzzing frequently through the meetings and he sighed when he saw the lock screen.

_**12 missed calls**_

_**17 unread messages**_

Nothing he could do now, might as well check to see what was from who. Selecting the missed calls first he discovered that about two thirds of them were Noctis who left no voice messages for any of the calls, Prompto had called three times--leaving two excited voicemails detailing how much he looked forward to the "scrumptious grub" that Ignis was sure to make and one about how he had finally finished packing--and the last call was from Gladiolus explaining that it had taken nearly the same amount of time to get Prompto to finish packing as all of Ignis' meetings combined. Bracing himself against the onslaught of texts, Ignis selected his messages icon and found out exactly why Noctis hadn't left any voicemail messages for him: they all became text messages instead.

_**Noct:** Hey Specs when are you planning on starting the food_

_**Noct:** I lost my white shirt with the silver stripe have you seen it_

_**Noct:** I CANT FIND MY HAIR GEL_

_**Noct:** Nevermind found it on the floor also im out of hair gel_

On and on the messages went along those lines until Ignis read the last one essentially saying that the Prince had given up on his packing and would do it later. Ignis let out a frustrated groan as he went to his office to fill out paperwork and make several important phone calls, he mentally began a checklist of what he would have to pack for Noctis when he went by later that evening to pick him up when he got off work.

Reading and signing several reports he read through some of Noctis' paperwork as well, trying to at least have one of them stay on top of the mountain that only ever seemed to grow despite his trying to lessen it. _I'll have it all shipped to Altissia when we finally get settled in, though I'm loathe to see it again once it all gets sent over._ Ignis thought to himself as he leaned into his chair for a moment and let his head fall backward with eyes closed, trying to figure out what was left to do. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." Ignis called, lifting his head back up but massaging his temple.

Prompto and Noctis stuck their heads in before stepping fully into the office. Prompto looked out the window and people watched, finger twitching as though he wanted to take pictures, while Noctis plopped into a chair, making himself at home.

"Y'know my dad said you didn't have to work today either, right Ignis?" Noctis asked, bored.

"Yes, but there is still much to be done. You also have reports to read if I'm not mistaken." Ignis replied, going back to reading several papers and pushing a large stack of manila envelopes and beige folders at the young Prince.

"Ah... not really my thing." Noct said, face scrunching in distaste as he saw he pile, "I think I'll pass."

"You know Noct," Ignis began, he could feel a headache coming on, "Whenever you become King you will be expected to keep up with these without fail."

Noctis moaned loudly, "But that won't be for a long time, Iggy!"

"Be that as it may, I still have to make several more phone calls and arrange for the remaining paperwork to be sent to Altissia at a later date before I can even begin to think about going home to begin the cooking. If you want the food sooner rather than later you would help me go through these."

There it was, the bluff. Ignis could do all the paperwork himself, he was used to it by now, but it was a good motive to get Noctis to possibly help him. He saw debate wrestle in the young man's eyes before he grabbed a thick folder and began to read through it. _"Hook, line, and sinker"_ , as Noctis had put it many times. Eventually, between the two of them, the paperwork wound down and Ignis finished putting in calls. The sun was setting and Ignis suppressed a yawn. Prompto had curled up into a ball on one of the more comfortable chairs in the corner--that Ignis had had put in for the exact reason that had happened before him many times--and fallen asleep.

"Looks like we're done for the day, I'll help you pack, Noctis. After that we'll head over to my apartment and I'll begin cooking. Mind picking up Gladiolus, Prompto?" Ignis asked the young man, stretching.

Prompto nodded his head and ran off, leaving Noctis and Ignis in the room clearing up the stacks of paper and putting them into their proper places. When they eventually arrived at Nocits' home--having stopped along the way to buy his precious hair gel--Ignis immediately fell into the old habit of cleaning the rooms as Noctis went into his bedroom and pulled out clothes that he wanted to take and placing them on the couch, the only place with a clear spot. After several hours cleaning and clearing, Ignis finally found a suitcase for Noct and began to search through what he had pulled out, setting things aside that were unnecessary and placing things in the bag that were deemed worthy to bring along. Ignis even allowed a few luxuries like several decks of cards, or a hat that Noctis seemed oddly attached to. When they were finished with the bags--Ignis was unable to pack it into just one--they were placed in the trunk and they were off to his apartment.

Ignis sent out a text to both Gladio and Prompto telling them that the food was being made once he had parked, realizing that he had pulled between the two painted white lines on the ground that indicated his designated spot for the last time, leading the way up the stairs and into his apartment. After washing the dishes Ignis began several elaborate dishes: meat-and-beef bouillon stew, marrowshroom chowder, crown city roast, king's stew, sides of vegetables and three-mushroom kebabs--much to the Prince's complaints--kupoberry cheesecake, peppery daggerquill rice, and even a large Leukorn steak cut into equal portions for the four of them. He knew it felt like a lot, but between Noctis and Gladiolus it would all get eaten since the two had voracious appetites. As the stews were finishing up several knocks sounded at the door.

"On my way." Ignis called from the kitchen, moving everything down to a low setting before answering it.

Gladiolus and Prompto were standing there with giant grins and obviously hungry bellies, as their stomachs rumbled at the scents that wafted into the hallway. They made their way in and Ignis shut the door. They all made their own plates and made a toast with glasses of champagne that Ignis had been saving for a special occasion.

"To our journey, and whatever the road may bring!" Noctis said, raising his glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter before the beginning of the game! I couldn't help Noct's texts, I'm pretty sure that's how he would actually do it, lol. I also apologize about how Ignis and Gladio approached the subject of them to try and date each other. It was a little awkward to try and get into the subject, and I'm pretty sure it translated...
> 
> Edit 3/30/18: OMG HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THAT THE LAST LINE GOT CUT OUT!


	5. Gladiolus

When they awoke that next morning it was about 6 am and Gladiolus thought he heard an alarm blaring. Prompto was muttering something about chocobos in his sleep-addled state and Noctis snored loudly, drool dribbling down his chin with both of the young men crammed on the couch. He heard Ignis moving about in the next room. Sitting up, Gladiolus had forgotten about his offer to sleep on the floor. Plush carpet or no, it was still uncomfortable; he found himself mildly envying the gunslinger and his charge before discarding the thought, after all in a way they were both still kids. Gladio thought for a moment that could hear swearing from Ignis' room as he briefly remembered that all the coffee was packed away in the Regalia, Astrals help them.

Suddenly he heard a hissing preceding the sound of someone cracking open a can, followed by an unmistakable _aaaahhhhhhh_. Ignis, that clever man, had stashed away at least one can of Ebony to help him function like he would need to. The door opened to Ignis, several minutes later in his Crownsguard Fatigues and yawning with said can of Ebony in hand.

"Morning, Gladio." Ignis mumbled vaguely, shaking the can to listen to the last dregs that remained in the bottom.

"Mornin', Iggy." Gladio responded in kind, standing up to stretch.

Looking to the coffee table he grabbed his Crownsguard fatigues as well, making sure not to take either Prompto's or Noctis' in his haste, and made his way to the spare bathroom to relieve himself and change. As he finished up and walked back out he noticed Prompto wide awake and looking about, Ignis already seemed like he wanted to crack open another can of Ebony.

"Heya Gladio, finished?" Prompto asked, the energy radiating off of him somehow despite the gods-awful hour.

"Feel free." Gladio replied, motioning to the bathroom.

Prompto practically ran from the room, grabbing his fatigues. Now came the more challenging part: Waking the slumbering Prince. Ignis was already attempting it when Gladiolus joined in. By 6:30 the Prince was groggily sitting up with tired eyes.

"Noctis, it's time to go." Ignis said, slightly nervous and unable to hide it.

Prompto had long since come from the bathroom and was setting Noctis' Princely fatigues in front of him when it really settled in for Noct.

"So... this is really happening..." he murmured before changing his clothes.

They all piled into the car and drove off to the palace.

************************

 

Gladiolus, Ignis, Noctis, and Prompto all stood before King Regis in the throne room, royal precedence notwithstanding. Noctis stood in front of the other three, with Gladio directly behind the Prince and Ignis and Prompto to his immediate right and left respectively.

"The decreed hour is come. Set forth with my blessing Prince Noctis." Regis said royally, looking down at his only son from the throne.

Gladiolus saw Noctis bow somewhat awkwardly as he spoke.

"Thank you..." Noctis said, looking up and tacking on "Your Majesty."

He sounded disappointed, not that Gladio really blamed him, Noctis hated Royal Talk. Regis waited a moment before continuing.

"Take your leave, and go in the grace of the gods."

"Right." Noctis whispered to himself, seemingly dejected.

Turning on his heels Noctis quickly made his leave, not waiting for dismissal from his father. Gladiolus sidestepped out of his way and bowed to the King, Ignis and Prompto soon followed suit and the four of them exited the large chamber, the doors being hurriedly opened to allow Noctis and his retinue to exit the room.

"Well," Prompto sighed quietly, "princes will be princes."

"So much for royal protocol." Ignis chided.

They eventually found themselves outside and walked down the steps, looking at the Regalia and all of her glory.

"Not like you had to deliver a formal address." Gladio agreed as they were about halfway down the staircase, rolling his shoulder.

"Your Highness!" Drautos called from the doors.

Noctis turned around to see his father following them down the steps, cane in hand and seeming to struggle with rushing to his side.

"What now?" the Prince questioned, irritation and confusion seeming to war with each other.

Gladiolus watched the exchange with a guarded expression. Had the King come to give a more informal good-bye? Or was he here to reprimand his son for his behavior?

"I fear I have left too much unsaid." Regis began sadly, though some sarcasm was obvious from his tone, "You place a great burden on those who would bear with you."

Noctis couldn't help but chuckle softly, "You're one to talk."

Regis looked at the three of them with Noctis by his side.

"I ask not that you would guide my wayward son, merely that you would remain at his side." The King requested them, looking at each in turn.

The three bowed at him.

"Indeed, Your Grace." Ignis replied.

"We'll see the prince safely to Altissia if it's the last thing we do." Gladio added.

"Yeah, what he said." Prompto piped in.

Noctis turned around, clearly unhappy.

"I hate to break this up, but Cor's got the motor running." Noctis said, beginning to walk away. He lifted his hand, waving as he began descending the stairs again, "Drautos, he's in your hands."

"And another thing." Regis quickly spoke, taking a step forward, causing Noctis to stop in his tracks and look up at his father, "Do mind your manners around your charming bride-to-be."

Noctis mockingly bowed to the elder man, "Your Majesty, as well. Try to mind yours around our esteemed guests from Niflheim."

"You have no cause for concern." Regis replied to his son.

"Nor do you." Noctis spoke, suddenly serious.

"Take heed." Regis began, worry edging his voice, "Once you set forth, you cannot turn back."

"You think I would?" Noct scoffed.

Regis squared his shoulders and fully faced his son, "I need only know that you are ready to leave home behind."

"Don't know about you, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Take care on the long road." Regis worried, taking several more steps forward, "Wheresoever you should go, the line of Lucis goes with you."

King Regis laid a hand on Noctis' shoulder, a caring symbol of strength. A good-bye, "Walk tall, my son."

Noctis stood under his father's hand, unable to move or speak for a long moment. Finally, after several minutes he nodded and turned, walking down to the Regalia and stepping into the backseat. Gladio waited for everyone to choose a spot before he hopped into the front passenger seat. Cor drove off and out of the city before any of them so much as uttered a word. It was really happening, Noctis was really gonna get hitched because of some arrangement for a treaty those damn Niffs were practically forcing on them. Gladio didn't like it one bit.

_All of those Niffs are talking a load of Chocobo shit to me,_ Gladio thought, gritting his teeth.

As they neared the edge of the city Cor began to slow the car and pull over at a rest stop.

"This is as far as I take you, from here on out it's all you guys." he said, nodding to them.

"Thank you." Ignis said when Noct remained silent in the back like an angsty teenager.

They rearranged themselves into a more comfortable arrangement, with Noct behind Ignis--who moved to the driver's seat--and Prompto in the front passenger seat and Gladiolus directly behind him. Ignis drove off past the city gates, letting the top down as they passed through it, and out onto the open road in silence, and it remained silent until they heard the engine sputtering.

"The hell is that?" Gladio demanded from no one in particular.

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good." Prompto said at the same time.

Gladio looked into the dash in front of Ignis and realized that the engine light had flared on and the actual motor itself began to smoke.

"Damn." Ignis bit off, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He quickly pulled over and shut the car off. "Everyone out, now."

The four exited out of the vehicle and Ignis popped the hood, with Gladio opening it to help get a look at what was going on.

_We may have to call Prompto over, this stuff is more up his alley anyway._ Gladiolus admitted to himself.

"Gladio, we may need to get Prompto's opinion on this matter..." Ignis admitted, mirroring Gladiolus' thoughts as though he could read them.

Calling Prompto over, the young gunslinger looked between the two of them then to the hood and began rubbing his hands as though he were preparing. The amateur photographer was, admittedly, the most mechanically inclined out of the four of them. Prompto began to fan his hand feebly against the smoke that was billowing from the engine block, trying to disperse it from the motor to see.

"While smoke isn't really a good thing, white is better than black." Prompto said hopefully, allowing the engine a moment to cool before tinkering.

He checked fluid levels and hoses as the other three sat on the side of the road watching a whole two cars pass by with nothing else to be seen once they faded into the distance. Prompto unexpectedly swore from the front of the car.

" _Gods damn it!_ " he yelped, clutching a hand to his chest as he walked around the car. "Bad news guys, I have no clue how to fix this."

"Well Hammerhead shouldn't be that far a distance." Ignis informed, pulling out an old, beat up map and showing the group who gathered around to look.

"Looks like we might be trying to push it there, then." Gladio spoke up, looking into the distance. "Noct, put the car in neutral so we can start."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be late to my own wedding." Noctis said sarcastically, he hopped into the driver's seat without any more smart aleck comments however.

The other three pushed, with Gladiolus bracing both hands on the trunk and Iggy with Prompto on the two front doors. There was a great deal of groaning as the slow progress was being made. Gladio looked up to the horizon, there were a few clouds spotting the sky and he could feel the temperature beginning to steadily climb. He looked at Noctis who was casually keeping the car straight. After a fair amount of pushing Ignis called for a break. Noctis stepped out of the car after placing it in park, going to sit behind the vehicle by his best friend Prompto who had decided to lay full out on the ground groaning. Gladiolus tried to flag down a few passing cars while Ignis had taken a seat behind the wheel.

"I think we can forget about hitching our way there." the taller man muttered, walking over to Ignis in the driver's seat. "Thought people were friendly outside the city."

He leaned against the car, laying one hand on the door with the other resting on his hip.

Ignis laid his head on his hands which were crossed on top of the steering wheel, the growing heat must be starting to get to the skinnier man, "You can only go so far on the kindness of strangers."

"Just gonna have to push her all the way." Gladiolus sighed, stretching some.

"I've already pushed myself... to the brink of death." Prompto said dramatically.

"Oh get up." Gladio told the two, slapping Noctis lightly on the shoulder. He walked toward Prompto, who was still being melodramatic on the pavement, and kicked the bottom of the gunslinger's boot, "C'mon, car isn't gonna move itself."

Noctis got up without much complaint, but Prompto moaned and groaned his way back to standing up. With Ignis already in the driver's seat the other three moved into position with the only difference being that Noctis took up the Adviser's old spot.

"Sheesh," Prompto muttered, "I thought the car was supposed to move _us_."

"Wouldn't that be nice." Noct added.

"Can it." Gladiolus interrupted, "Ready..." the three braced themselves, "Steady... PUSH!"

The three pushed in silence save for the groans from themselves as they moved the Regalia with their own strength.

"Un-believable." Noctis uttered in disbelief at the turn of events.

"Not exactly a fairy tale beginning, huh, Prince Noctis?" Gladiolus joked.

"We let ourselves get carried away." Ignis joined in.

"Look, these things happen!" Prompto said, trying to defend the poor Regalia who could not defend herself.

"Let's just hope this isn't some omen." Gladio grunted.

After a few moments of grunting silence Noctis had decided to speak up again.

"Gladio, do me a favor..." Noctis began.

"What?" Gladiolus answered.

"Push this thing by yourself." the Prince finished.

"All by myself?" the Shield questioned, gritting his teeth as he suspected the other two were starting to slack off.

_They better not even dare,_ the man thought to himself as the car seemed to be getting suspiciously heavier.

"You won't eve notice if we just let go." Prompto lied.

"Prompto," Gladiolus started in a half mocking, half threatening voice, "don't even think about it."

"Save some breath for pushing..." Ignis sighed.

Noctis shook his head. "Ignis, time to switch!"

"Nuh-uh! We just switched back there!" Gladiolus argued.

"And," Prompto said happily, "it's my turn, Noct."

"His 'turn'." Ignis couldn't help but chuckle.

Silence followed for several more minutes before Prompto began complaining again.

"Agh! My hands are killing me."

"You rather I kill you with mine?" Gladio questioned, his tone irritated.

"Easy there, though guy." Prompto tried to reassure.

Gladio glanced ahead and noticed that Ignis had pulled out his cell phone and was holding it at his ear.

"Any luck?" Noctis asked.

"Only a busy signal." Ignis said, shaking his head.

"Hold the phone--" Prompto spoke as though realizing something, "Is it just me, or was it supposed to be way closer?"

After hearing Ignis sigh the man answered the inquiry, "I assure you the map is correct."

"The map said Hammerhead was right there." Noctis agreed.

"Literally next door." Prompto added.

"Looks that way on a map of the world." Gladiolus reminded the two youngest men who didn't seem to grasp the concept of maps being much smaller than the real thing.

A large truck passed them as they pushed the Regalia ever onward. Gladiolus had to admit though, the scenery was rather beautiful in a way. The mountains in the distance with a background of pure blue sky with a few dotted clouds, it was like a painting.

"Heh, the world's a big place." Noctis admitted.

"Filled with wonders." Ignis agreed.

"Tell _that_ to my legs." Prompto grumbled loudly.

"You guys even pushing?" Gladiolus accused as he noticed the other two's posture slacking.

"Hard as I can!" Prompto said easily.

"With everything I got." Noctis said as well.

****************************

After what felt like hours of pushing, though Gladio knew it only felt like that due to the heat, they made it to Hammerhead. He had let Ignis take his turn for driving since he knew that he could handle the rear pushing and poor Iggy seemed to be dwindling somewhat in the heat, but as soon as they had pulled into Hammerhead the two younger men cheered while the two older moaned happily. 

_How I would love to just lay down on a bed!_ Gladiolus thought to himself as he stood by one of the rear wheels next to Noctis who leaned against the rubber tire. Ignis had stepped out of the car and was standing several steps away from the door, peering into the distance. Prompto had decided to nearly lay down on the ground again like he had done earlier and moan as though he had pushed the Regalia all the way by himself. Suddenly a young woman in short shorts, white cowboy boots, and a yellow Hammerhead jacket waved. _Shiva's merciful tits!_ Gladiolus thought to himself suddenly, feeling as though he could blush, _This girl's rack is practically bursting from her shirt!  
_

"Hey there, y'all kept a girl waitin'!" she said with a drawl, her short light blonde hair that wasn't contained by her cap rustling in the slight wind, "Now which one's the Prince?"

Noctis popped up from his side of the car so she could see him, she had come up on the opposite side where the garage stood.

"Aha!" the girl said loudly, walking around the car. As she got closer Gladiolus noticed that she had a pair of what looked like welder's goggles around her neck and dirt or grease seemed to be smudged on her face. "Hello, Your Highness. Congrats on your wedding!"

Noctis hesitated, "Not hitched just yet."

The young girl couldn't seem to stop staring as though she were star-struck. Gladio couldn't understand why, though he had also trained the kid since he was... well... a smaller kid...

"Well, Lady Lunafreya's groom-to-be, here in Hammerhead." she sighed.

"Apologies for taking so long." Ignis chimed in before Noctis could respond.

She laughed while examining the car, "You'd best save your apologies for Paw-paw.

"That makes you..." Gladiolus began, her name on the tip of his tongue.

"Cindy--Cid's grease-monkey granddaughter." Cindy introduced, turning around to face him and smiling.

"Roll her in while I'm still young!" an older man yelled from near the garage as he walked closer, he looked all around the car and glanced at Noctis for a moment before returning his attention to the Regalia. "Didn't your daddy tell ya? She's a custom classic, not some beat-up ol' clunker."

Looking more into Noctis' face he squinted somewhat, "Prince Noctis."

"Uh, yeah." Noctis said confused.

The older man, who Gladio was assuming was Cid, looked down and shook his head.

"'Prince'. Like they took your old man and kicked the dignity out of him."

"What?" Noct asked, pure shock registering on his face.

"You got a long way to go, son." Cid continued as though the Prince has never spoke, "And that slack jaw's gettin' you nowhere fast. She's gonna take a while. Y'all get her in and run along."

With that the old man walked off. Cindy took a few steps after her paw-paw before she stopped and sighed heavily.

"Y'all heard him!" she said, jerking her thumb behind her at the retreating figure who had disappeared into the garage, "Let's get movin'. Right this way!"

They pushed the Regalia the small ways to the garage before Cid shut the doors and Ignis walked toward them, Gladiolus watched him try to talk to the old man before walking back to the group.

"And now we play the waiting game." Ignis said.

"Never liked that game." Prompto replied dismissively, walking off in the direction of the shop.

"Never any good at it, either." Noctis called after the blond.

Cindy hollered at the four before they ran off to check out the store, as they walked over she spoke up with a question.

"Y'all never been out this way before, have ya?" At their obvious looks of embarrassment she went on, procuring a newer map from a pocket. "Go on, have a look around! This'll make sure y'all don't get lost."

Noctis took the map and handed it off to Ignis who thanked the blonde-headed woman politely.

"Well, might as well make good use of the extra time." Gladiolus noted, looking pointedly at the large garage door that currently held the Regalia.

"Woah... they got Ebony out here! Ignis is gonna flip!" Prompto informed loudly after stepping through the doors of the small shop, picking up a can and showing Noctis, after a moment though his confusion rang out. "Wait... what's a 'gil'?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this? TWO chapters?  
> Yup, I posted two chapters because I hit 50,000 words in a month's time (ironically enough I got it on Chapter 15) and as a celebration I'm posting TWO chapters tonight. ;)  
> So the gang is finally on their way toward Galdin Quay! I hope--for those of you who have played the game before--that I transitioned well and blended the scripted events with my own, that was honestly my biggest worry. If there's any parts that are ever weird, let me know and I'll try my best to smooth it out! (Also, as a sidenote, if you guys want me to more genuinely southern-fy Cindy--as in make her actually sound more southern in words--just let me know. I live in the south and can definitely do that, since I hear it all day.)


	6. Ignis

After a moment of explaining that they barely had gil--which Ignis also explained was the currency outside the city--for a room to stay in after the Regalia's repair price, Ignis and the gang walked up to Cindy with embarrassment after he explained their situation and asked if there was anything they could do to possibly earn some gil to get to Galdin Quay. Cindy thought for a moment and said that her Paw-Paw had told her that there were some "ornery varmints on the loose and causin' a ruckus" and that she could pay them for their service. Looking behind her toward the garage she slipped them a bit of gil from her pocket.

"Don't tell Paw-paw." Cindy warned quietly.

She explained that there were several large groups of Reapertails, large black-shelled creatures as long as a man with a red-tipped stinger at the end of it's tail and red-tipped claws as well, that were terrorizing the surrounding drylands and that it would be greatly appreciated if they could get rid of the pests. Agreeing, the group set off after being told that they spanned not far from the other side of the road to a nearby group of barn-like buildings that had long since become abandoned because of the fact that the creatures had claimed it as a breeding ground along with several other animals.

Making their way across and heading toward the large rocky mountain they caught sight of a small group of Reapertails. Sneaking their way, the four discussed how they wanted to dispatch them.

"Despite the fact that I know they are barely poisonous I still recommend due caution." Ignis warned, "For some their sting is more effective, though we are not likely to have one of us be afflicted with the allergy."

"We could always just beat 'em up." Gladiolus said, making his dual-handed greatsword appear with a flash of blue light and a grin.

"I'm with Gladio on this one, Iggy. They don't look all that dangerous." Prompto admitted, doing the same with his guns. The two pistols appeared with a blue light similar to Gladio's, and Prompto checked them to make sure the safety was turned off for the upcoming hunt.

Noctis remained oddly quiet, his sword phasing into appearance as well. Looking at Ignis he shrugged, a bored look on his face as Ignis' twin daggers flashed into his hands.

"We await your call, Noctis." Ignis told the young black-haired man, staring at him expectantly.

Noctis looked between his three companions: Prompto with his dual pistols and blond hair swept up in a style that reminded him oddly of a chocobo all the time, Gladio with a greatsword in hand and his dark hair swept back and blowing off his shoulders in the wind that blew across the four of them, and Ignis whose dirty blond hair was simply done with nothing more than an up sweep of bangs and his two daggers held dangerously in each hand ready to be slashed or thrown at an enemy. Sighing he seemed to make his decision.

"Let's just attack them head-on, there's only five of them. How difficult could it be?" Noctis answered.

While the answer was not difficult, it also wasn't easy. Prompto managed to get his leg caught in one of their pincers and was now bleeding, whereas Ignis had been grazed with a stinger as he back flipped out of range from one Reapertail only to find that he was within perfect range of another behind him. They both insisted that they were fine and so the group continued onward. It went on for at least an hour's worth of time with similar outcomes until they all had at least some form of minor injury. Eventually they came across the group of buildings that Cindy had described and approached to dispatch the larger group of Reapertails with a two Reaperkings as well, being larger than their counterparts it required more tactic that a straight-on assault. The group decided on splitting up, with Ignis and Prompto being distraction and bait while Gladio and Noctis snuck around the back to assault from the rear in an ambush. After they split, Prompto and Ignis ran straight out while Noctis and Gladiolus snuck around one building to hide and wait for their chance.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" Prompto yelled, waving and shooting his gun at the beasts.

Ignis did the same, yelling and waving his arms until the Reaperkings and Reapertails ran to attack them, causing the two to immediately go on the defensive. The Reaperkings were more violent and stronger than their smaller counterparts and had a longer reach, stinging Ignis in his arm as Prompto shot it repeatedly.

"Any minute would be nice!" Prompto yelled, shooting as fast as he could while dodging claws and stingers.

Ignis tried to do the same, but he was beginning to feel sluggish and could tell that something was quite wrong. He managed to stay up, but his reaction time was going down. _Noct and Gladio had best be picking up their pace._ Ignis thought to himself.

Suddenly Noctis phased into the air above them and threw his sword down at a Reaperking that was directly in front of Ignis that was effectively cornering him. It went down quickly and Noctis pulled his sword from it after phasing back to the weapon while Gladiolus was making quick work of the smaller Reapertails surrounding Prompto. The other Reaperking was snapping his claws at the two of them and Ignis called out a warning as he puled out a magic flask.

"Noct!" Ignis cried, throwing the container.

Noctis ran toward Ignis as the flask shattered against the Reaperking, dousing it in intense flames. It scurried about in a pain-induced craze, unable to control itself before curling inward and going still. Noctis immediately turned to Ignis as he fell to one knee.

"Specs!"

"I'll be fine, help them!" Ignis called to his Prince, motioning toward Gladio and Prompto who were fighting several Reapertails at once, Gladio becoming caught by one's claw as it readied its barb to strike.

Noctis ran to the other two as Ignis watched Gladiolus stab at it with his greatsword and Prompto shoot its tail to alter the creature's aim. Between the three of them they managed to fell all the enemies. Gladio rushed to Ignis' side, grabbing the man by both arms.

"Shit, you're pale as the Glacian!" he exclaimed while checking Ignis' injuries.

"It's just a flesh wound Gladio, I'll recover just fine." Ignis tried to wave him off, failing as a sense of vertigo swept over him and he felt as though he were falling.

"Woah there, Iggy. I gotcha, just relax. I'm gonna have to get your shirt off to look at the sting unless you want me to rip it." Gladio said, looking at where Ignis had been stung by the Reaperking. "That doesn't look good."

Ignis nodded mutely and fumbled at his buttons, Gladiolus knocked his hands aside and managed to undo them all within a matter of seconds and was pushing the purple printed button-up off his shoulders, thankful that the man had left his jacket with the Regalia. Prompto and Noctis jogged over to see what was going on.

"Not exactly how I imagined I'd get you out of your shirt." Gladio mused quietly so that only the two of them could hear while checking the sting.

"Behave, Amicitia." Ignis chastised, trying to scowl but unable to hid the slightly upward quirk of his lips, it quickly left as Gladiolus probed the tender flesh and it oozed liquid.

"Poison." Gladio announced, pulling a vial from his pocket and splashing it onto the wound.

Ignis hissed and suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Procuring a flask, Gladio quickly handed it to the bespectacled man, commanding that he drink once the seal was cracked. As Ignis took a tentative sip against what felt like the wishes of his stomach he began to feel slightly better. The concoction tasted like herbs brewed in a tea, or at least if tea were thicker than a broth.

"Elixir." Ignis muttered aloud to himself before it clicked and he said louder, "And an Antidote."

Gladio nodded, revealing several more antidote vials from an inside pocket and procuring one more Elixir and two Potions, "I always carry some in that kit I threw in the car. Since the box isn't always easy to carry around I take some with me, this is really all we got though."

Prompto had his phone out and was clicking away on the screen for a moment before putting it away and asking in a concerned voice, "So is Iggy gonna be ok?"

"I'l be just fine Prompto, though I thank you for the concern." Ignis nodded, still feeling slightly dizzy.

"We'll wait for you to recover before we... Who could this be?" Noctis began before being interrupted by his phone, he answered it in confusion. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Cindy. How goes the huntin'?"

"Actually, we just finished." Noctis answered, surprised by her timing.

Noctis' phone was loud enough that they could all hear Cindy on the other end of the phone. Ignis made a note to remind him that he should really turn it down.

"That's great, 'cause I got one more hunt for y'all--only this time it's for a person." Cindy said from the other side, though her voice seemed to be filled with worry. "Fella named Dave went off, and we ain't heard from him since. Reckon he's staked out a spot in an old shack nearby."

"Old shack?" Noctis repeated, looking around and spotting one close by, "Oh, got it. We'll take a look"

Cindy seemed to have gone silent and Ignis hoped she had simply lost service because Noctis had shut his phone off and put it back in his pocket.

"How did she get your number, Noct?" Ignis asked, trying to stand again after feeling some relief between the Antidote and half of the Elixir.

"I gave it to her before we left." Noctis admitted, "So she could contact us when the Regalia was finished. How're you feeling, Specs?"

"Much better, though I would prefer to finish recovering with my shirt back on. I am not fond of being half naked outside."

Gladio handed Ignis back his shirt after bandaging up the sting on his arm.

"So, what'd Cindy say?" Prompto asked, excitement tinging his voice.

"Needs us to find some 'Dave' guy." Noctis answered in his usual bored voice now that he knew that Ignis was well taken care of despite his still paled complexion.

"He went missing?" Gladiolus asked, helping Ignis to his feet once he was suitably clothed again.

"Not 'missing'," Noctis replied, shaking his head and motioning to the distance not that far away. "Said he's holed up in that shack."

They began to make their way to the shack nearby at a steady pace, with the creatures having all been defeated in the area they remained alert, but not worried. Once they reached the shack they ventured inside but found it empty. Coils of wire cable were stacked in a corner by some machines that lie silent, dust was blowing through cracks between the planks making up the walls. The four searched to see if maybe this "Dave" left something showing a new location when Ignis heard Noctis speaking.

"Huh, what's this?" he wondered aloud, bending over a small table.

The other three made their way over to check the discovery while Noctis held up the paper he was reading after removing it from an envelope.

_**Monster Dualhorn Sighting**_  
_Codename: Bloodhorn_  
_Characteristics: Red tusks, extremely violent_  
_Outstanding bounty on sabertusks in the area_

"Noct!" Ignis shouted in alarm as he looked behind himself after hearing noises.

"Get outta here!" Prompto yelled as well after Noctis was attacked by a Sabertusk that had slipped by. Prompto immediately shot the beast, flinging it off the Prince and helping Noctis up. "You ok?"

"We are now." Gladio said, sighing in relief when the monster went down.

"Spoke too soon!" Ignis warned, seeing more appear from the dust storm that had blown in since they entered the shack.

Several more of the creatures stormed their way into the building, putting the group on the offensive, immediately trying to defend themselves in the close quarters. One had managed to slip past them all, knocking Noctis to the dusty ground and was trying to bite at his throat when Gladio ripped the Sabertusk off him to fling the monster against the wall, it was immediately stabbed by Ignis while Prompto shot at several other Sabertusks, giving Noctis time to get back up and into the fray. After several minutes the beasts lay dead on the ground and Ignis checked on Noctis.

"Hey, what about the shack over there?" Gladiolus asked after Ignis was finished looking the Prince over.

Gladiolus moved a shutter and pointed toward another shack not too far away and they traveled over, it looked like it used to be some sort of storage building but was currently surrounded by yet more Sabertusks who were trying to find a way into the shut door. They quickly dispatched them, knocking on the wooden frame.

"Hey, who's out there?" replied a gravel voice as the door slowly opened, the owner limping out slowly.

"And look who's here--the man of the hour." Gladio couldn't help but joke. "Dave, right? Been looking for you."

"Didn't mean to cause y'all any trouble. Been stuck out here on account of my sprained ankle." Dave grunted, leaning against the door frame. "Somethin' funny 'bout them varmints. I gave 'em hell, but couldn't finish the job. Still one mean mutt about."

Dave looked at their faces and hesitated before continuing. "Y'all don't look much like hunters, but whaddaya say? Put that puppy to rest for me?"

"Oh yeah," Noctis said before anyone else could reply. "We'll take care of it."

"Y'all got guts, that's for sure. Lemme tell ya where I last saw him." Dave admitted, nodding in approval as he marked their map, he couldn't help his warning as he handed it back to them however. "I've been huntin' for years, but I ain't never seen one with blood-red tusks before. Wonder if the nights growin' longer's got anything to do with 'em showin' up outta the blue..." he mused out loud. "Well, whatever it is, we outta take it out before it can spawn any more like it."

The four looked at each other then back at the spot that Dave had marked before setting out, Ignis stopped after a distance. He didn't want to slow the group down, but he also knew that they were all injured and that rushing into a battle would be... quite the folly to say the least.

"Noct, it would be wise to rest up before we set out." Ignis recommended, Noctis nodded in answer.

"Yeah, you still don't look too good anyway, Ignis. I guess let's find a Haven and rest up. Wouldn't mind squeezing a nap in." Noctis agreed.

"In that case," Ignis started, "Let's find a spot to make camp."

"The Hunters are really out in full force around here, huh?" Gladiolus wondered aloud.

"So they're the new Crownsguard or something?" Prompto asked.

"Similar, though technically a civilian outfit." Ignis informed, remembering the piles of paperwork he had to do surrounding the Hunter's Association.

"They've definitely seen a lot more action than we have." Gladio admitted.

They made it to what the map called "Merrioth Haven" inside of the Three Valleys. It was only a little in the afternoon and the group could clearly see the terrain around. Ignis couldn't help but lay down on the flat-rock surface and close his eyes, while his color had begun to come back he still felt occasional waves of vertigo but refused any more Elixir from Gladiolus.

"If you really want it to be used then share it around. Those can technically be used for multiple people." Ignis reminded him as he draped his uninjured arm across his eyes to shield them from the sun.

"It's not as effective that way, though." Gladio reminded him.

"We'll all live, I assure you, now drink some yourself and pass it to the others." Ignis said, ignoring Gladio's protests.

After resting up for a while Ignis got up, no longer feeling the dizziness and looked in the direction they were to head.

"Feeling a-hundred percent already, huh Iggy?" Gladiolus asked, sitting up.

"Mmmm." Ignis hummed in answer, "Might as well get this over with if everyone is ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I meant to post this chapter on my birthday two days ago, but forgot by mistake. So here it is today! Hope you all enjoyed!


	7. Gladiolus

Gladiolus observed the Dualhorn and examined from a distance for any weakness or chinks in its armor. He heard footsteps and turned to see Ignis joining him. _Area must be secure,_ Gladio thought to himself, _otherwise he wouldn't be here._ They both knew that Prompto's watchful eye was expert, but sometimes it got... preoccupied...

"Have you found anything?" Ignis asked, crouching next to Gladiolus in the dirt.

"Might be something under the belly if we could knock 'em over." he replied, going back to looking intently at the red-horned beast. He glanced to the side for a moment at the other man, "You sure you're feeling up to this, Iggy?"

"I'll be fine, I assure you. Although I must inform that you aren't the only one with tricks up their sleeve." Ignis reassured with a mischievous grin, procuring two magic flasks from a pocket. "Fire and ice."

Gladiolus couldn't help but grin as well. That was one reason that he had started to fall for Ignis, he had an ability to always surprise you and that smile would always blow you away; it was something reserved for very few behind that mask of impassivity on his face. Looking back at the Dualhorn that was now roaring angrily into the sky he couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement, he was in his element when fighting and this Dualhorn was a good test of strength. Thinking about it after looking back to where Prompto and Noctis were around the corner he realized that it would be a good way to work on teamwork in active battles as well. Gladiolus moved away while the creature let out another enormous roar, tugging on the tail of Ignis' shirt that he hadn't moved to tuck in since putting it back on. They made their way back to the younger two of the group, Prompto was looking around toward the distance where they had come from, the dust storm had passed and had allowed them to better view the distance and what may lie beyond it. Noctis looked up from where he was sitting against a boulder.

"So what's the plan, big guy?" Noctis questioned the muscled man.

"Well the outside seems thick, but we could still bring him down without much issue. It'll be easier if we can knock 'em over and attack from his underside." Gladiolus informed them. "Don't get cocky, that shit is what gets people killed."

Prompto walked back over toward the end, twirling his gun on his finger, "So does that mean we're ready?"

Gladiolus looked over at Ignis again who nodded.

"Yeah, let's kick this Dualhorn's ass!" Gladio declared with a smile.

As they entered the area Gladio noticed something that he hadn't seen at the distance he viewed at and immediately held a hand up, "Wait a sec!"

It had an odd mist about it, from a distance he had thought that it was the beast's hide, but now he could see that he was very wrong. This battle could get nasty.

"What--scared, big guy?" Prompto teased while looking to the great beast, obviously unaware of the imposing danger that just increased.

"You should be, too. Thing's vicious." Gladiolus tried to brush off.

He looked at Ignis with his eyes quickly flashing serious, the other man's eyes hardened behind his glasses as they communicated silently. Ignis put a hand on Noctis' shoulder and stepped protectively in front of him, all the while Gladio had already moved in front of the whole party and stuck his sword into the ground.

"You sure? Looks tame to me." Prompto practically yawned, waving his gun in a dismissive gesture.

"Yeah." Noctis agreed.

"Look out!" Ignis cried.

The Dualhorn roared madly at the party and reared on its hind legs, preparing to run at them. Gladiolus removed his greatsword as the beast charged and held his position, ready for the oncoming attack as the beast ran at them full-force. Gladiolus had been watching the creature as it moved and swung his sword as the Dualhorn ran, managing to catch a foreleg and flipping the beast on its side--Prompto proceeding to yell in alarm at the giant creature that had ran at them--and it went down like a sack of Leiden potatoes. They all began to hack and slash at the beast's soft underbelly as it struggled to get back up onto its feet.

"It's not over yet!" Ignis reminded the group as it managed to find its feet once more.

Gladiolus focused on trying to use his behemoth strength to knock it over again while Noctis and Ignis aimed at the beast's legs. Prompto shot at the Dualhorn from a distance, not being good at close-quarters combat, the beast cried out when Prompto managed to hit his face with several shots, effectively sending it into a rage. The creature was swinging its red horns wildly, throwing Gladio onto his back several times and knocking the air from his lungs. The same happened to Noctis, but Ignis immediately helped the kid to recover by pulling out a potion from a pocket and giving it to the Prince.

_The longer this drags on, the harder it's gonna become to see._ Gladiolus realized, dust and dirt flying into the air and remaining airborne thanks to the wind.

"We gotta end this!" Gladio called out to the others, could the others even hear him over the Dualhorn's wails?

Suddenly the great beast was covered in a layer of frost, promptly answering his silent question. A chill rang through the air and the creature stopped from the shock of his sudden temperature change. Gladio took advantage of the confusion and threw the beast back on its side before it could recover. The group assaulted the tender flesh again, and after a moment the beast went slack. Gladiolus had to quickly duck away before he got hit in the head with a leg. Prompto whipped out his camera-- _Where did he hide that thing?_ Gladiolus couldn't help but think to himself--and took a picture of the creature, along with a few snapshots of the rest of the group as they heard Noctis' phone ringing again.

"Hello?" the Prince answer, still winded from the battle.

"Hey!" Cindy's voice rang out from the speaker. "Dave just called an' said he's safe. Thanks for findin' him."

"'Kay." Noctis replied lamely, holding his side where he had gotten hit by the Dualhorn.

"Nice work, y'all. By the way, the old girl's looking good as new." Cindy continued. "She'll be waitin' at the garage."

"Gotcha." Noctis said, nodding.

"Se y'all when you come back on by!" Cindy ended, hanging up.

"So," Gladio began as they made their way back to Hammerhead with Noctis in the lead while everyone followed close behind, "Who's next behind the wheel?"

"Ignis should take it and never let go." Prompto declared, thumping Ignis on the back.

"It helps that he can keep four eyes on the dash." Gladiolus teased, throwing an arm around the shoulders of the man who was the topic and winked playfully.

"Heh! I couldn't even keep one!" Prompto laughed.

"Not sure I could do any better." Noctis admitted, folding his arms behind his head as they walked... or limped as the case was, or at least all but Prompto.

"Put me in the driver's seat." Ignis relented, shifting his glasses.

Gladiolus knew the man was pointedly trying to ignore him but he thought he could see a blush under the dirt clinging to the skinnier man's sweat-soaked skin.

"Good, 'cause I need the leg room in the back." Gladio teased jovially.

About halfway back Noctis finally spoke up to complain.

"There's only so far a man can walk."

"Our Crown City upbringing didn't prepare us for this." Prompto admitted, embarrassed.

"Pretend you're walking to the car." Ignis offered sarcastically, causing Gladio to snicker at the two younger men's disbelieving faces.

"Right..." Noctis finally said with a roll of his eyes while Prompto huffed, causing Gladio to laugh harder and Ignis couldn't hide his smirk.

"Y'know Noct, it's rude to keep a girl waiting." Prompto teased, "You'd better apolog--" he stopped suddenly with a look of horror on his face as he pointed at the sky. "What is THAT?"

The other three looked in the direction the gunslinger was pointing to find a bird flying toward them and getting bigger... and bigger... _and bigger_. It was massive, probably as big as the whole of Hammerhead itself. It flew over them with an enormous gust of wind and soared back upward.

"A live hurricane!" Noctis offered up in answer once it had passed over them.

"That thing is like half-bird, half-storm, half-airship!" Prompto proclaimed in amazement.

"You realize that's three halves, right?" Gladio couldn't help but point out.

"That would explain its size." Ignis commented nonchalantly.

"Awesome in every sense." Noctis marveled to himself.

Compared to that the rest o the walk to Hammerhead was boring and uneventful, save Noctis and Prompto now chattering away in excitement about the large bird-beast. As they finally arrived and moved toward the gas pumps they saw the Regalia in all her beauty sitting outside the garage with Cindy rubbing her down with a cloth. She turned at their approaching footsteps.

"Sorry 'bout the wait. Ain't she purdy?" Cindy apologized with a smile.

"She's almost too pretty for the road." Gladiolus admitted.

"She's back!" Prompto crooned, tears in his eyes as he stared at the Regalia. "We should take a picture with her."

Prompto turned around and held out his camera to Cindy who took it while the four moved to their desired positions. After the shutter snapped the picture appeared on the screen, Cindy nodded and gave it back to the owner. After looking Prompto showed it to the other three in the photo.

Noctis and Prompto were in front, with Noct sitting in front of the Regalia's right headlight, one knee propped up and the other leg lying flat. Prompto knelt in front of the other headlight with one arm held out in front of him and the other held out behind and a large, cheesy grin on his face. Ignis stood directly behind the gunslinger by the wheel with arms crossed and a slightly less serious face and a casual stance, while Gladiolus himself had propped up with his left arm against the right fender and his right arm on his hip and one leg casually crossed in front of the other while smirking.

Gladiolus took one look and smiled, "Picture ain't bad."

"Definitely a keeper." Noctis nodded happily.

As the four piled back into the car--with Ignis putting the top back down--Cindy walked back up and leaned on the Regalia for a moment.

"Oh and before I forget--would you mind makin' a little delivery for me?"

"Ooh me! I'll do it!" Prompto immediately volunteered before anyone could speak up.

"Someone's eager." Noctis mumbled with a smile.

"Thought you'd say yes, so I already put it in the trunk." Cindy said, winking at Prompto and putting on a bigger smile.

Gladiolus saw Prompto practically swoon in his seat and shook his head. _Well it looks like the kid just might be able to get over his Noctis Blues after all._ Gladio thought to himself.

"There should be a motel on your way to Galdin, if y'all wouldn't mind giving that to the owner, that'd be swell."

Cindy waved in good-bye and they drove off, making small talk amongst themselves about Hammerhead and its residents. The breeze was nice in the heat and Gladio could see Ignis relax as he put on some music. "Not yours" he had said quickly as Prompto had reached for the dial. The young gunslinger had sighed, sitting himself back against his seat sulkily until they passed the giant mountain that lay on their right, snapping a few photos.

_Nothin' against the kid, but his music does kinda suck..._ Gladio couldn't help but think, feeling guilt on his consciousness at the thought.

As they reached the next town called Longwythe--and the only town between Hammerhead and Galdin Quay according to the map--they pulled into a parking lot next to the only motel in the town.

"That must be the motel Cindy mentioned." Ignis noted to the group, grabbing the package from the trunk and walking over to the window.

"We were asked to bring this to the manager of this establishment." Ignis informed the man at the desk, showing the package to the man who took it after explaining he was the manager.

"Y'all came all the way out here to deliver the goods? Well, thank ya kindly. We'll take it right off your hands." The man told them gratefully.

Suddenly a dog barked, causing Noctis to turn around. It had black fur with a line of white running over a portion of its upper snout, and a green bandanna was tied around it with something obviously inside like a makeshift fanny pack for the animal.

"Hmm?" Noctis asked as he turned around, he recognized the dog like the rest of them did, "Umbra."

"Bringin' us stuff, atta boy!" Prompto praised Umbra while Noctis scratched his ears.

"That dog can really track a scent." Gladio remarked.

"Certainly 'nose' how to find us." Ignis joked, looking at Gladiolus.

Gladio held back a groan, one flaw about Ignis was that he really did like puns.

"How do you always know, boy?" Prompto wondered, leaning over to look better at Umbra.

"Just a sec." Noctis told them.

They all discreetly looked over Noct's shoulder to see what Lunafreya had written in their book, which was always what was in Umbra's makeshift green bandanna-pack. There was a sticker of a face with what looked like a sylleblossom on either side of it with tangled stems. _"It's come time for me to leave Tenebrae."_ the lettering below it said in what was obviously Lunafreya's graceful handwriting. Noctis stuck a sticker on it from his pocket--a Hammerhead sticker that they had bought when they had been paid for their service and assistance in Dave's hunt--and wrote a response before closing the book and sticking it back into Umbra's bandanna.

"All set. Take care out there." Noctis told Umbra who licked his chops in response before he walked off.

"I know. You're not gonna tell me." Prompto sighed, crossing his arms.

"Then don't ask." Noctis replied quickly.

"What was that about?" Prompto questioned, ignoring what Noctis told him until he just sighed in response. "Ya don't say."

"Now that our work's done, let's see ourselves to Galdin." Ignis announced, only stopping to look at the sky.

The other receptionist stopped them as they passed the desk.

"Hold on a sec, sir. I found an envelope addressed to Meldacio inside the package."

"Meldacio? The Hunter HQ?" Gladio couldn't help but ask.

"Yessir. The Head Hunter oughta be around here somewhere. Mind makin' one more delivery?" the man requested.

"Whaddaya say, Noct? Might as well while we're in the neighborhood." Prompto told the Prince in his ear loud enough for Gladio and Ignis to hear as well.

"Sure, why not." Noctis relented, taking the envelope from the man.

A man across the road caught Gladiolus' eye and he motioned to the man. "Why don't we ask if he knows where that is?"

Noctis nodded and the group walked over to the man, it took them a moment when they realized that the man was actually Dave.

"Hello, Dave was it?" Ignis asked, continuing when Dave nodded, "Do you perhaps know where Meldacio is located? There is a package that needs to arrive there."

"Well, look who it is. I really owe you boys one." Dave told them as he recognized who they were.

Noctis looked at the envelope again and grinned at the man's name written on it. "Make that two."

"Can't seem to catch a break." Dave said jokingly as he took the package and opened it, after he saw what was inside he frowned and shook his head. "Looks like they found another one."

"Wait, uh--" Prompto began, unable to stop himself, "found another what?"

"Tag." Dave sighed heavily, sadness tinging his voice and pulling a set of dog tags out from under his shirt. "Us hunters keep 'em on our person at all times as identification."

"What--in case you forget who you are?" Prompto wondered, not quite understanding.

"More like so no one else forgets who they _were_." Gladiolus informed the gunslinger, whose face suddenly turned into a frown when he realized what the words meant.

Dave nodded, "Hunters lead a life of danger, and sometimes these tags are the only things that make it back in one piece. It's our job to deliver 'em to the families of the fallen. As it were, I came out here to do just that."

Noctis and his friends couldn't help but remain in solemn silence as Dave continued onward.

"If y'all happen to find any tags lyin' around out there, could yo do me a favor and send 'em my way?"

"Yeah, sure." Noctis told him, nodding.

"Those tags are heavy stuff." Gladiolus said, a frown on his face as the group headed back toward the car.

"They certain carry a lot of emotional weight, we best find and return them." Ignis agreed.

"And give the families peace of mind." Prompto added sadly, his tread suddenly heavier at the thought.

"I doubt that we'll find much, but should we come across any on the way to the Quay we'll certainly have them sent over to the Hunter HQ." Ignis nodded as they all piled back into the car.

As Ignis stepped on the gas peddle the music had stopped and a news broadcast came on and a man began talking.

_For our next story: Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae has issue an official statement regarding the forthcoming treaty._

Suddenly Luna's voice came from the radio speakers.

_Words cannot express the joy in my heart on receiving word of this coming peace. Nor the pride I take in my betrothal playing a part in this historic moment. On this joyous occasion, some have voiced cause for concern: The fear I will be unable to fulfill my duties as Oracle. Please rest assured, my marriage will not stand in the way of my calling. You will find me in your towns and villages, as you always have. And I shall continue to bless you all._

Lunafreya's voice rang proud and strong through the speakers, she was a tough woman with a tough calling, but she was always gentle and kind. Gladiolus had only met her a few times, but she was wise beyond her years, definitely an old soul. The original male broadcaster's voice clicked back on.

_Lady Lunafreya will set forth from Tenebrae for her wedding ceremony in the coming days. Please be advised that, during this time alone, her duties as Oracle will be suspended._

"It's in the treaty?" Prompto asked over whatever the announcer was saying before the music began to play again.

"Of course," Ignis said, as though it were as obvious as the nose on your face, "simple formality."

"One of those 'symbol of the peace' deals." Gladiolus tacked on, he never thought about it, but he guessed in a way it _did_ make a fair amount of sense.

"So it's more like a..." Prompto hesitated, searching for the right word. "Marriage of convenience?"

Ignis nodded and Noctis remained silent next to Gladio in the backseat, tense. This had to be hard on the Prince; the King, his father, had always seemed to hope that his son could marry for love--Gladio had heard him several times personally when the King thought no one could hear--but knew that the prospect had been dwindling as time went of and the war got harder.

"Her Ladyship seems nevertheless amenable to the prospect." Ignis continued from his previous response.

"And Noct here likes the idea." Gladiolus elbowed the Prince lightly, bringing him to the present and out of his thoughts.

Prompto was probably the only one in the Regalia who didn't know that Noctis genuinely had feelings for the Oracle since they were children, but what was probably weighing on the Prince's mind was that the betrothal rushed things a bit ahead of schedule. Gladiolus always suspected that the two would probably get together unless something threw a wrench into the mix. Noctis let out a dismissive noise and Prompto tried to cover what was probably a bout of sadness on his end with a joke.

"What's that?" the blond gunslinger said, cupping his left hand behind his ear as though trying to catch words that had never left his crush's mouth. "'I do'?"

"Buzz off." Noctis grunted, turning more toward the scenery.

Galdin Quay crept into view as Ignis turned the car in the direction of the winding road heading down the hill toward the sea.

"Hey! I see the sea!" Prompto yelled excitedly, that kid really did have a short attention span sometimes.

"I 'sea' it too." Noctis agreed, the pun terrible and obvious.

Gladiolus couldn't contain the groan, not Noctis too...

"That's Galdin Quay." Ignis said to the passengers in case they couldn't make the connection.

"Kinda wanna go for a dip." Gladio admitted.

"That a big mountain behind it?" Noctis asked, staring at the large hunk of rock in the distance, the only interruption in a vast amount of water.

"No, it's an island." Ignis told Noctis, answering the Prince's question.

"Nobody goes to Galdin for an island, though." Prompto scoffed, stretching his arms behind him. "They go to kick back and get massages!"

"And savor the sea food." Ignis added, excitement lightly tinging his voice. "It's famously delicious.

"Sounds great." Noctis replied with heavy sarcasm mixed with boredom.

"Somethin' to look forward to." Gladiolus agreed, despite the Prince's tone the Shield knew that Noctis was excited to see Lunafreya.

Ignis backed into a parking spot and Prompto practically leaped from the car without opening the door, heedless that the top was slowly moving back up to cover the car.

"Prompto!" Ignis chastised as the gunslinger was running to look out at the sea and take pictures of the island and the Quay itself. The other three waited for the top to click into place before getting out of the car and looking around. It was beginning to get late in the afternoon, but there was still a good amount of time before sunset bathed them in the twilight proceeding dusk. When the three reached Prompto he had finished taking pictures and was looking at a "Bounties" board with hunts that could be accepted for the area _"Please see your Tipster for details"_ was posted above the available hunts.

"Might as well head for the docks to secure a spot on the ship." Ignis said, motioning to the wooden walkway toward the small docking station and restaurant.

Noctis shrugged and walked toward the wooden stairs leading to the walkway, trying to come off uncaring but Gladio knew better. Noct was barely able to keep up his facade as he stared intently into the distance, they all walked and chatted about what they would do once they reach Altissia. Walking into the restaurant a stranger approached them and set off alarm bells for Gladiolus, the Shield became tense as he watched the man approach. He was slightly taller than Ignis with pinstripe pants and black shoes, he had on at least three layers of shirts ranging from some sort of cream to a light blue to a navy-like and a black trench coat and a deeper black set of fingerless gloves. The stranger's reddish hair was wild and reached about his shoulders if it were to actually lay flat and he regarded them with amber eyes similar to Gladiolus' in color.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck." The stranger informed them in a tenor voice.

"Are we?" Noctis asked, his tone questioning.

"The boats bring you here." The stranger told them, motioning to the docks below.

"What about 'em?" Prompto asked, nervousness creeping into his voice as his body tensed up as though being threatened.

They all could feel it, something was off about this stranger but none of them could quite put their finger on it. His aura was unsettling but he showed no visible signs of being threatening.

"Well, they'll not take you forth." The man answered, looking behind at the dock and scratching his head.

"And what's your story?" Gladio asked, staring intently at the red-headed man as the others looked in the direction the he faced.

"I'm an impatient traveler, ready to turn ship." He responded, taking a few steps backwards before turning around just as he was next to Gladiolus.

The four watched him intently as he passed with every nerve on edge, you could have cut the tension with a knife it was so palpable between the retinue.

"The ceasefire's getting us nowhere." he said as he suddenly turned around and flicked something at the Prince.

Noctis flinched, throwing an arm up to protect his face as Gladiolus caught the small object from the air in a fist in reflex. He opened his hand to reveal a curious silver coin sitting on his palm.

"What's this? Some sort of souvenir?" Gladio asked, trying to maintain an air of casualness while his anger was rising.

_Who the hell is this guy? He screams "threat" but I can't find anything overtly wrong with him... Well except the "ceasefire" comment and the stupid coin..._ the Shield thought to himself angrily.

Noctis' face registered clear and unmasked anger as Gladio watched him stare at the stranger.

"They make those?" Prompto couldn't help but ask in genuine curiosity despite the situation.

"What? No." Noctis said, brushing the blond off with slight irritation.

"Consider it your allowance." The stranger said regally, moving an arm out as though presenting it as a gift.

"Yeah, and who's _allowing_ us?" the Shield said, stepping between the man and the Prince, irritation and anger clearly presenting itself in a show of dominance. Gladiolus really hoped that it wouldn't result in a fight, but he wouldn't back down to this stranger who put them all on edge and he was sick of this guy..

The stranger remained neutral and impassive as he shrugged and backed away, not seeming to be the least bit afraid by Gladio's change in demeanor.

"A man of no consequence." He said mysteriously, turning around and walking off.

"Tch, yeah right." Noctis said quietly as the man walked out of earshot.

Ignis and Prompto sighed in relief as the tension began to fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was just sitting in my bed, chowing down on some queso dip and chips and figured why not post the chapter tonight. The scene at the end always irked me when I first met Ardyn and I thought he was an ass. Also when Prompto was in awe of the Zu I rmember replying with the same coment as Gladio and said it at the same time as him my first playthrough. I stil can't get over that Prompto uses three halves.


	8. Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Gladio! ;P  
> Obligatory character birthday post.

"You believe what that guy said about the port being closed?" Prompto asked after the man disappeared.

"I'm skeptical," Ignis began, his body still rigid from the encounter, "though I won't discount the possibility."

"I say we go check it out for ourselves." Gladiolus threw out.

As they walked Ignis couldn't help but think about who that mysterious stranger might have been. He knew that the man was a possible threat when Gladiolus had tensed up, and the Shield had been raised and trained to read those kinds of things in people from when he was a child, but he just couldn't tell what made the man so threatening. His demeanor seemed ordinary, but the way he talked had set Ignis on edge. He filed it away for the ride to Altissia, he would have plenty of time to mull it over then unless the stranger made a reappearance. The four walked more fully into the restaurant, being greeted by what looked like a bellboy as they approached the cooking station.

"Hope everything will be up and running by the morning." one woman had told another in conversation as they passed to get to the stairway leading to the actual docks themselves, leading to believe that the stranger had been telling the truth about the boats.

As they walked down they saw that the port was empty, devoid of even the tiniest dingy, Ignis saw Gladiolus take the coin out of his pocket and better examined it in the light.

"Aw, man. Not a ship in sight." Prompto whined. "What gives?"

A silver haired man sitting on the nearby bench cleared his throat, gaining their attention as Gladio put the coin into his pocket.

"According to my sources, the empire gave strict orders not to let any vessels leave the docks of Altissia." he said in a nasal voice as his loose teal tie shifted in the sea breeze. "Real shame if you were late to your own wedding--right, Prince Noctis?"

Noctis crossed his arms and stared straight at the silver haired man with his black sleeves pushed up to his elbows and one leg crossed.

"Name's Dino, by the way." The man pushed on, uncaring. "Pleasure. The crown Prince of Lucis, bounty hunting in his fancy car..." Dino laughed, "Surely you didn't think it'd go unnoticed--at least not by this reporter?"

Ignis groaned inwardly, of course this man was a reporter, it was practically stamped on his forehead. Ignis never did like reporters, they were nosy, sneaky, rude, and had a tendency to stick their noses where they didn't belong.

"Lucky for you, this reporter has integrity. If you wanna remain incognito, I'll respect your wish... in exchange for a favor."

"I don't owe you anything." Noctis said with a slightly royal air.

"Wait." Ignis interrupted, putting a hand on Noctis' shoulder and speaking quietly in his ear. "We mustn't rub him the wrong way."

Noctis gritted his teeth and nodded, causing Dino the Reporter to smile and lean forward.

"The sound of tacit agreement! Here." Dino said, marking for them something on their map after asking for it. "Marked where you need to go on your map. All you gotta do is find me some rough gemstones--like this one." Dino pulled out a stone from his pocket that glinted in the sunlight. "Do this, and your ship'll come in. Don't, and the papers'll run you outta town. Capisce?"

The man was a genuine reporter all right, right down to the subtle and vague threat. Ignis decided that he wasn't going to be fond of the man anytime soon.

"Whew. He's really got your number, Noct." Prompto whistled.

"Not like we made much effort to keep it secret." Gladio admitted.

"Even if we had, the press always finds a way." Ignis couldn't hide the irritation in his voice from Dino. "We needn't befriend him, but we'd best not make him our enemy."

The group looked at the map when they got back to the car, Gladio spreading it against the hood. Dino had marked a spot not far away from Galdin inside the Saulhend Pass, it looked as though it were on an overlook according to the map, the question was how to get there and the only answer would be found once they arrived at the location. They got in their seats and buckled in--Ignis cracked the windows about halfway and drove off--his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he gritted his teeth from the encounter. Ignis _really_ hated reporters, he had dated one after Gladio had denied his admitted love that seemed rather sweet, though he hadn't found out the fact that he was a reporter for a local paper until the end. Fraus Ludifico had initially been a barista at a local cafe called Casus that Ignis had often gone to after his work was done and was one of the few that were open at all hours of the day. His straw yellow hair had been pulled back into a bun and his smile practically lit up the room as he asked Ignis what he wanted to order. The relationship--or whatever it could have been called--had lasted about four months when Ignis caught him one day snooping through his bookcase full of files in the living room and several open on the coffee table with a pen in his hand and a pad of paper open with notes scribbled out on it. Ignis had taken the pad, unceremoniously dragged the man outside in the cold with no shoes or coat, yanked the spare apartment key that Ignis had given him off of his keyring, and thrown him onto the sidewalk, slinging the rest of the man's keys at him and hitting Fraus squarely in the chest. _I hope it leaves a bruise._ Ignis remembered hoping . He had sent the man his stuff at a later date, but burned the notepad, sending only the ashes in an envelope in a rare moment of spite.

"Hey Iggy, isn't this the place?" Gladiolus asked, snapping Ignis out of his thoughts.

"You sure we're in the right spot?" Noctis asked, not believing the Shield.

"According to the map. Let's scope it out." Gladio affirmed.

Ignis parked the car and they looked once more at the map to reassure Noctis that they were, in fact, in the right spot. After deciding to walk up the hill they found that there was a path a little farther upward that led to the overhang in question. Only a handful of hours were left of daylight so they made haste to reach the stones before darkness fell and the daemons walked the land. They jogged up the path to cross a natural stone bridge that ended into a small enclosed space and as they walked out and back into the open where the stones should have been located...

"Oh em gee." Prompto's voice dropped to a shocked stage whisper.

The giant bird-beast that had nearly blown them away earlier was sleeping on the ledge. Ignis realized that the only way to get to Dino's requested item was to go around the bird.

"We're supposed to get near that thing?" Prompto asked, his voice wavering.

"Pipe down before you wake it up." Gladio growled in a low tone, trying to warn the gunslinger and bring him back to his own senses.

They crept around the beast, silent as could be and barely breathing lest it wake the enormous bird. Ignis carefully moved ahead of the Prince, seeing where the gems could possibly be located: a large boulder that had an odd sheen to it sit not far away from the tail. He made his way over and began searching around the stone, finding a possible match underneath in the dirt. While digging the bird-beast stirred, its large black wings fluttering slightly. Ignis quickened his pace.

Once the other three came to the rock they helped to dig, eventually revealing a large dirty stone that most definitely looked like what Dino had described. They cautiously made their way back around the bird when suddenly it flared its wings open. The beast stretched them out and released an enormous, deafening roar before stepping over them and launching itself into the sky, flying away yet again.

"Oh," Noctis sighed loudly, relief dripping from his voice, "we made it out alive!"

"Barely!" Prompto shouted. "I seriously thought we were at journey's end."

"But that feat was fit for a king." Gladiolus grinned.

"Indeed." Ignis couldn't help but agree with the Shield.

They made their way to the car with ease and drove back to the Quay, heading down to the docks and presenting the raw stone to Dino who took it gratefully and examined it closely.

"Nice work, kid! Sorry for giving you such a hard time. I just had to get my hands on this, even if it meant blackmail. You understand, don't ya?"

_No,_ Ignis though to himself bitterly, _I never could and I never will. Such deceitful tactics are disgusting._

"Y'see I'm a reporter by day, and an amateur jeweler by night. This elusive beauty's gonna become a masterpiece." Dino admitted in some sort of explanation, he turned to Ignis who had taken to glaring at him. "To make it up to you, I'll share a little scoop. That special coin you got--it commemorates the Oracle's ascension."

_He must have seen when Gladio had looked at it._ Ignis thought to himself, remembering when Gladiolus had looked at the coin in the light, Dino didn't seem to miss anything.

"That guy was tossing 'em out to everyone." Dino informed them. "Musta picked them up from Niflheim."

"I doubt a souvenir like that could make its way into the hands of an ordinary citizen." Ignis remarked, more suspicious of the red-headed stranger now more than ever.

"Well, it's our pocket change now!" Prompto joked lightly.

"As promised," Dino continued, "I'm in the process of securing your ferry tickets right now. Told ya, I'm a man of integrity. Should be smooth sailing from here, so lemme know when you're ready to ship out, it should be ready by tomorrow."

"I admit I didn't expect Dino to secure us a ship." Ignis said, leading the group to a counter so that they could rent a room so that they could receive the tickets that Dino had promised them the next day.

He gave the key a turn and unlocked the door, there were two beds along with a glass wall facing the water. Ignis tossed a key to Prompto as he turned to head back out the door.

"I'm going to see if they will allow me to use their washing machines so our clothes don't stain." Ignis declared.

"I'll go, too." Gladiolus offered, joining Ignis as he walked out the door.

"So we'll be in Altissia by tomorrow, eh?" Gladio remarked as he shut the door behind himself.

"So it seems, I just hope Noct is ready for what is going to happen. This is a big move and hopefully it smooths things over for the peace treaty." Ignis confided.

"Ah, the Prince will do just fine. Right now I wouldn't mind some time on the beach. Wanna join me?" Gladiolus reassured as Ignis made his way back to the desk.

"Maybe." Ignis replied before turning to the man at the desk and requested the use of their equipment.

The man said yes and Ignis thanked him, letting him know that they just needed to change and the clothes would be ready. Walking with Gladio out to the car under the first twinkling of stars, they grabbed each person's suitcase and dragged them in. Prompto and Noctis were playing King's Knight on their phones.

"Change out of those and into something else, we gotta wash 'em or Ignis will freak out over the stains." Gladio told them, immediately changing into a set of work-out shorts and nothing more as he bundled up his clothes.

The Prince and gunslinger changed into a set of pajamas and handed over their clothes as Ignis changed into a set of relaxed attire consisting of a casual Crownsguard shirt and accompanying pair of work-out shorts that matched his companion's. Noctis and Prompto let out whoops of excitement as intermittent noises rang from their phones and they became immersed again in the game. Ignis sighed and--after bringing the bundle of clothes to the receptionist, who took them and promised to give them back when they were clean--walked with Gladio, stopping to drop their shoes off in the car. The beach had become abandoned, bar a few young couples who were enjoying the now sparsely populated beach.

"You come just to keep me company?" Gladio smiled, winking at Ignis who rolled his eyes at the flirtatious comment.

"Mayhapse I just enjoy beaches and twilight?" Ignis smiled back despite himself.

The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was relaxing as well as the fact that when Ignis walked down to the water it was quite warm, as was the sand--which, while warm, didn't burn the soles of your feet. Gladiolus jogged in until he was waist deep in the water and then dove in, surfacing after several minutes.

"C'mon Iggy, water feels great!" Gladio called.

Ignis took off his shirt and glasses, tossing it into the sand closer to the steps to more easily find, before following Gladiolus into the water. He waited until the liquid came up to his middle and dove in as well, the water flowed all around him and he felt content. As Ignis' lungs began burning for air he resurfaced, laughing.

"I thought I was gonna have to come in after you." Gladio said, swimming closer to Ignis who was grinning widely.

"I used to swim in the city, usually after-hours when no one was in the pool with me." Ignis admitted. "I used to love just diving under the water and holding my breath as long as I could, it's like a different world when you're below."

"I didn't know that, how would you even get in after-hours? Did you break in?" Gladio laughed, trying to imagine Ignis breaking into a swimming pool in a cliched burglar outfit.

"I used my status, believe it or not." Ignis admitted, swimming on his back while he caught Gladiolus' shocked look. "I try to not often swing my position around."

Ignis simply swam, it had been so long since he had been able to do it. His duties to Noctis usually interfered with his personal life and he had been sad to see swimming go, but doing it now made him feel free and relaxed like he hadn't been in a long while. He felt the water shift next to him and he looked over, Gladio was simply just floating his way and watching Ignis contently. Ignis smiled softly and dove under the water, opening his eyes to find where Gladiolus was floating and then swiftly speeding up to him and tickling the Shield's sides. Gladiolus lost his balance and tried to fend off the Adviser, diving in after him until they were both underwater and Ignis was swimming swiftly away like he were one of the Glowing Barrelfish that were beginning to come out while Gladio tried--and failed--to catch up. They swam after each other, with Gladio trying to catch Ignis and Ignis simply swimming just out of reach for several hours. Eventually they retired to the sand, Ignis dragging himself onto the beach and laughing with Gladiolus in a rare moment of uncensored joy. He didn't feel the need to hide how he felt or guard his face, this was Gladio. Gladio never judged him based on asinine abilities, or lack thereof. It felt natural to laugh with the man, to smile at his twinkling eyes and infuriating wink that was always sent his way...

"I haven't had that much fun in a while." Ignis admitted, moving his hair back out of his eyes, the water had removed any hair product in it so it now lay flat on his head.

"Glad I could help you relax." Gladiolus sighed happily. "Can't take all the credit, though, this water feels pretty good."

Ignis lay down on the sand beside Gladio while the water lapped at their bodies, staring at the stars and pointing out constellations to Gladio without thinking. Suddenly after several moments of silence, Ignis looked over to see that Gladiolus was laying on his side next to himself, staring intently at Ignis.

"How's your arm doing?" Gladio asked suddenly.

"It's... ah..." Ignis stumbled, trying to talk and failing.

"Uh-huh, should you really be flipping around having been impaled in the arm by a Stinger?" Gladio chided, leaning over Ignis to take a look at the wound in the moonlight.

It was still wrapped by the bandage so Gladio had begun to unwind it, his intoxicating scent washed over Ignis and he couldn't help but inhale it deeply. Gladiolus stopped, thinking he had hurt the man in some way.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, the sea water just makes it sting." Ignis excused, which wasn't necessarily a _complete_ lie.

"That makes sense, seeing as it's salt water." Gladio nodded, unwinding it the rest of the way.

The bandage had soaked up quite a bit of blood and needed to be changed, but the wound in Ignis' arm however was deep and would likely take a while to heal even _with_ the aid of Elixirs. They would need the more concentrated High Elixirs that came as a poultice or balm to heal it more quickly and they didn't quite have the gil for it at the current moment.

"I'll be fine, Gladio. And you worry about me mothering." Ignis chuckled lightly, trying to brush Gladio off.

"At least humor me and put on some more Elixir." Gladio asked, eyes and voice filled with concern as the shirtless man let go of Ignis' arm to place a hand against his cheek.

All words died in Ignis' throat as he shut his mouth and nodded, he just couldn't bear to say no while staring into Gladio's amber eyes and seeing the concern that lie in them. He leaned his head against Ignis' and closed his eyes.

"Thank you." Gladio whispered.

Ignis hesitated, causing Gladiolus to open his eyes and look at him. Throwing caution to the wind Ignis pecked the man on the lips, Gladio tensed for a moment before a soft smile curved them and he chuckled. Holding Ignis' face gently in his hands he spoke quietly.

"I was real nervous there when I saw that you had been hit, your arm was bleeding pretty badly and you were as pale as a sheet." he admitted, shaking his head slightly.

"I wasn't surprised that I was affected by the poison, but I was surprised at just how quickly it took effect. I used to get sick easily as a child and my Uncle often had to nurse me to health." Ignis told Gladiolus.

Gladio kissed the skinnier man on the temple and held him to his chest. Ignis allowed him to get pulled there, closing his eyes and listening to the muscular man's heartbeat. They stayed like that for an undetermined amount of time, it just seemed to freeze into that perfect moment and Ignis wished that it could just stay that way.

But, of course, all good things must come to an end.

Gladiolus shifted and Ignis pulled back. "Guess we should make sure that the other two haven't killed each other or something, right? Besides, you should actually get that cleaned before it gets infected."

"Right." Ignis agreed, nodding as they both got up and brushed sand from their damp bodies.

Ignis grabbed his shirt and glasses from next to the stairs as they made their way back into the Quay. Whatever the future may bring, this moment was, at least, perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really enjoyed writing petty Ignis. Idk about you guys though, but I really wouldn't want to get on Ignis' bad side. I also won't lie, I was really tempted to write a sexy beach scene but I really like how it turned out.


	9. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my kid has an ear infection and I've got nothing else to do today so... early posting!

Gladiolus was already up and dressed when he heard Noctis sit up from his bed and begin to put on his clothes for the day.

"Heya, mornin'." Prompto said, yawning.

"Where's Specs?" Noctis asked, sounding like he were suppressing a yawn of his own.

"Should be back any minute now." Gladio answered, getting up from where he was leaning against the wall and walking over to the glass panes to look at the rock island in the water.

Gladiolus smiled to himself, remembering the previous night's events. By the time he and Ignis had gotten back to the room Prompto and Noctis were both asleep in one bed with both awkwardly--and amusingly--sprawled across it, causing Gladio and Ignis to share the only other bed in the room. After both had taken a shower they had just lie in bed, with Gladio insisting on applying more to Ignis' wound and re-wrapping it beforehand, both unable to sleep--though Gladio had a feeling that Ignis' Ebony addiction had to be the other man's issue. Both were left to wander their thoughts until Gladio heard a soft snore come from beside him as Ignis shifted onto his side and threw an arm on Gladio's chest unconsciously.

Gladiolus had smiled at the man and placed his arms behind his head as he simply soaked in the moment. When the two awoke the next morning--with Ignis groaning into the pillow at the early hour--Gladio couldn't help but smile again at the sleepy Adviser, who had turned his head to catch it and made his lips quirk slightly upward. Ignis got dressed in his Crownsguard fatigues--they had been given back just before they had retired to bed--and left muttering about "coffee" and "paper"... The door opened, snapping Gladiolus from his pleasant reverie and his smile died instantly at Ignis' pained face with newspaper in hand.

Something had gone very wrong.

"What's that look for?" Noctis asked, tense.

Ignis looked at Gladiolus with red-rimmed eyes--shit, had he been _crying_?--and spoke a thousand words in that one look alone. Gladiolus walked over to him and held out his hand, Ignis gave him the newspaper.

"It's in all the papers." Ignis informed flatly, voice painfully neutral despite the look on his face.

Gladio quickly read over the newspaper's front page and felt as though Shiva, the Glacian herself, had replaced the blood in his body with ice.

"What is?" Noctis continued to question, but Gladiolus couldn't hear him.

"'Insomnia... falls'?" Prompto read, his voice disbelieving, as the question hung in the air.

"Wha--" Noctis exclaimed, pure shock seeming to envelope him as it began to turn into hard anger in his voice. "This your idea of a joke?"

Gladiolus had blanked out. His father had been there, his _sister_! Oh gods, did Iris make it out? Gladio certainly hoped so. He had no doubts that his father hadn't made it, that Clarus had died in the line of duty defending his King and friend... Wait... Ignis had said something the night before about an Uncle, he must not have made it out. That would explain the crying...

"I need you to calm down so I can explain." Gladiolus could hear Ignis saying quickly, composed even though he must have been grieving inside.

"I'm as calm as I'm gonna get!" Noctis interrupted firmly, his rage building from his tone.

"There was an attack." Ignis stated, his voice pained. "The imperial army has taken the Crown City."

"'As treaty room tempers flared, blasts lit the night sky. When the smoke about the citadel had cleared,'" Gladiolus paused, disbelieving of what he was reading aloud, "'the king... was found... dead...'"

"No, wait," Noctis started, unable to process it all, "hold on..."

"We had no way of knowing." Ignis tried to reassure the Prince--King now, technically.

Gladiolus looked up in time to see the Adviser turn with heavy steps and a defeated sag to his shoulders as he dropped his head slightly.

"What?" Noctis demanded. "Knowing what?"

Gladio could remember Regis' words that he had said: _"... so pack only what you need with some to spare should the worst come to pass." Regis grimaced and added quietly, "Hopefully the Astrals will smile upon us."_

He had known.

"That the signing was last night," Ignis began, "that Insomnia--"

"But the wedding! Altissia!" Noctis reminded his Adviser, a rare moment of acknowledgement towards his royal duties.

"I know that was the plan," Ignis interrupted the now-king, "yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?"

"Gah!" Noctis said, sounding like he had been punched, "...Lies..."

Gladiolus looked back down at the paper and clenched one hand into a fist.

"...If only." Prompto managed to say.

Gladiolus sighed, pushing away his pain to deal with later, just as Ignis had, and looked over to the Adviser.

"What else do we know?" he questioned.

Ignis couldn't even speak, but his sigh and shaking head was all the answer Gladio needed to know.

"Well then we can't be sure until we see it with our own eyes." Gladiolus declared with steel in his voice.

"And that means we go back to Insomnia." Prompto continued the thought, turning around from where he stared out the window.

"Might not be safe for us there." Ignis warned, disagreeing with prospect.

"Might not be safe for us here." Prompto countered, motioning to the room and what lie beyond.

Silence lay heavy on the group as the argument suddenly halted with those words.

Gladio slowly looked at Prince Noctis-- _Technically_ King _Noctis now_ , he reminded himself--who looked as though he were the Archean with that meteor on his shoulders.

"Turn back?" Gladio asked him.

They all looked to Noctis, the only one who could make the tough decision. The now-young-king looked Gladiolus in the eye for a moment before looking back down at the hands in his lap.

"Yeah." Noctis decided, defeated.

"I'll ready the car then." Ignis announced stiffly, his voice breaking at the end.

Gladiolus grabbed all their suitcases and followed Ignis out the door, the skinnier man's long legs carried him quickly to the Regalia and Gladio had to jog to keep pace with the man. Suddenly Ignis turned around, grief clearly stricken on his face.

"Did you need something, Gladiolus?" Ignis choked out.

Gladio put down the suitcases and awkwardly held out his arms to the man, causing Ignis to shake his head.

"We don't have time, Gladio. I'll simply have to manage." Ignis admitted, his eyes glazed over with tears he wouldn't allow himself to shed. "What about you? Have you heard from your father or sister?"

Gladiolus shook his head, "My father.. he was Regis' shield... If Regis is dead..." Gladio stopped short, unable to finish his halting sentence and redirected it to Ignis instead. "Your Uncle?"

Ignis' body tensed up suddenly as he opened and closed his mouth several times, it didn't even look like he was breathing.

"Hey, Iggy--"

"He was on the Council." Ignis managed to choke out, a single tear escaping to roll down his cheek, his hands unconsciously balled into fists. "He was like a father to me..."

Gladiolus watched as Ignis ran a hand through his hair and took a shaky breath, turning to take a few steps before turning back around to face Gladio again. While Ignis had always tried to remain strong, steadfast, and neutral--like a rock in a storm--Gladio could always easily read him, like one would read a book or a street sign. While Gladiolus himself had likely lost his father, there was still a chance that Iris survived and made it out since she was never near the Citadel; Ignis wasn't so lucky if his Uncle was on the Council itself, anyone in that room was likely dead.

"You can't drive if you're upset." Gladio reminded Ignis. "You're all about safety, well if you're this upset it's not exactly safe to for you to drive all of us."

Gladiolus could see it, the cracks in Ignis' armor. They were getting bigger and bigger until Ignis collapsed against him and cried like a dam had broken. Gladiolus wrapped his arms around Ignis and made soothing noises, rubbing the smaller man's back gently as he hiccuped his cries into Gladio's chest. He could feel his throat tighten both at the fact that Ignis was allowing himself to be so vulnerable, and that he had lost his father--he refused to think about Iris, his sweet little sister, the potential of her loss was too much to bear. Tears began to fall down Gladio's face as he continued to try and soothe Ignis.

"Shhh, it's alright." Gladio said.

"I didn't get to say good-bye." Ignis cried into the the muscular chest. "The last thing we had even spoken about was inane _paper reports_! We talked about how much _paper_ was being used in all the offices and how we could cut down..."

Ignis cried himself dry, sniffling while he just leaned into the man.

"Ignis, as much as I hate to do this, we have to pack up to see for ourselves about the damage that Insomnia took..." Gladio finally brought himself to say, sniffling slightly himself.

"Do you--" Ignis began until Gladiolus held up a hand to stop him.

"You're not in any condition to give me a shoulder to cry on, wait until we figure out if Iris made it."

Ignis nodded and took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he let it out slowly. Gladiolus grabbed the keys from Ignis and began to load up the car as the first few drops of rain began to fall from out of the sky.

 

****************

 

"I hope everyone's ok..." Prompto said.

"Lotta good hoping's gonna do." Noctis said harshly.

"You musn't lose faith." Ignis reminded him.

"Really?" Noctis asked curtly. "Can faith stop an Imperial Dreadnought?"

"Give it a rest." Gladiolus told him, sick of the brooding even if it was understandable this time.

"My old man had plenty of faith--" Noctis started, beginning to choke on his words.

"Enough." Gladio told him pointedly.

Noctis had been like this the whole way from Galdin Quay to well past Hammerhead when he had stopped for a few minutes, finally gracing the car with tense silence for a few moments before continuing and Gladiolus had had enough. Noctis needed to realize that he wasn't the only one in the car who had lost somebody...

"The Empire lied." Prompto realized. "They betrayed us."

"Conjecture leads us nowhere." Ignis stated to the group. "We're searching for truth."

"All you'll find are lies--like that ceasefire." Noctis said darkly.

Several enormous airships glided overhead, the massive flying metal vehicles heading toward Insomnia.

"Look at the size of those things." Gladiolus noted.

"Imperial Dreadnoughts." Ignis informed the group. "They transport soldiers--namely the Magitek Infantry."

"The robots?" Gladio questioned.

"Mass-produced humanoid weapons of warfare, to be more precise." Ignis clarified.

"Doesn't look like they'll be signing that peace treaty." Prompto admitted in a casual tone. "Up ahead!"

There was a large amount of cars sitting on the incoming lane to Insomnia's gates with large amounts of Magitek troopers and large military mech suits blocking the roads both in and out.

"They've set up an inspection point." Ignis pointed out, gritting his teeth.

"If the road ahead's blocked, then we find a way around." Gladio said, pointing out a dirt track nearby that Ignis pulled on to.

Ignis followed it until the Regalia could no longer move forward, putting the car in park and they made their way out.

"Let's make a detour--there should be a decent vantage point up ahead." Ignis said as he shut the door behind him.

They made their way up a stone staircase and around a corner only to find Imperial soldiers as they fought their way through. Bullets flew from the enemy's guns as Noctis and his retinue were forced to use their weapons to defend themselves.

"Prompto, some good shots in here would really be useful!" Noctis shouted to the gunslinger who nodded and began to fire off shots. "Oh yeah. Those scrapheaps are gonna wish they had a treaty to protect them." Noctis muttered, his anger getting the better of him.

Noctis ran out of cover when the shots stopped from the riflemen to reload and he charged along with Gladiolus and Ignis. They hacked and slashed as their enemies were reloading, Noctis using his phasing ability to go from enemy to enemy as he threw his blades. After the first few dropped with no blood he realized that these were indeed Magitek Troopers--or MTs as they had been more commonly called in Insomnia. When they had defeated that group they went up one flight of stairs, around the corner, and up another flight of stairs. The three had followed Noctis as for as far as he went. MT group after MT group they fought, and they all received at least a few bullets, several times there had been little to no cover to protect them. All Gladiolus could think was that he was grateful that he had trained Noct for so long, and he hoped that the younger man remembered all those years of training.

"Where do they keep coming from?" Gladiolus wondered aloud as they finally saw the last of the buildings and spotted a grassy area leading upward.

"Can't imagine what it's like inside." Prompto shuddered.

"We should seek a vantage point--the hill." Ignis pointed out, one finger aimed to the top of the hill in question.

There were more MTs, this time with two on the cliff sides, Noctis would have to face those alone while Gladiolus and the others fought with the ones on the ground. As they fought Gladio could hear Noctis fighting above them and willed himself not to get distracted, one wrong move and he could wind up dead and he was already more hurt than was ok. As they fought their way upward Gladio saw more MTs drop.

"So these are MTs." he said offhandedly when the fighting finally stopped.

"Empty humanoid soldiers, soulless and merciless." Ignis tacked on, nodding for a moment between heavy breathing.

As they all crested the hill the sight that lay before them was horrifying to them all. Their city, the city of Insomnia, lay smoldering and smoking. It truly was fallen, the ruins going far and the city looked as though giants had rampaged inside, heedless of the damage that had been wrecked. Prompto pulled out his phone and threw on a news report to see if there was anything on the extent of the damage.

_As to ceasefire discussions between the two nations, all provisional terms have been suspended in light of recent developments. Moreover, in the wake of King Regis' death, we've now received word that Crown Prince Noctis and the Oracle Lunafreya have also been pronounced dead._

"Keep it on!" Gladio instructed loudly at Prompto as everyone gasped.

Prompto moved to look at the screen and dropped it due to the slick rainwater that had collected on its surface, as the phone hit the ground it turned off.

"Don't bother!" Noctis shouted over his shoulder.

Gladiolus turned on his phone and dialed Iris' number as more Imperial Dreadnoughts flew by overhead. The line rang and rang until he got to the voicemail. Noctis spoke up from his phone as Gladio hung up, about to try again until he heard who Noctis had been speaking to.

"Hello? Cor?" Noctis said, shocked at the man's survival.

"So, you made it." Cor said on the other end, relieved.

Never had anyone in the group been so happy to have Noctis always listen to the phone so loudly.

"The hell's going on?" Noctis asked, pained.

"Where are you?" Cor questioned, ignoring Noctis' own.

"Outside the city, with no way back in."

"Makes sense." 

"Gah. 'Makes sense'? Are you serious?" Noctis demanded, incredulous. "What about any of this makes sense!? The news just told me I'm dead--along with my father and Luna."

Noctis' voice was beginning to break from the emotion and they all watched in silence as Noct paced, phone still to his ear.

"Listen." Cor's voice told Noctis. "I'm heading out to Hammerhead. About the king... it's true."

Noctis' eyes went wide and he immediately turned back to stare at the decimated city of Insomnia. Gladiolus could feel his own heart stop. If Regis truly was dead, then his father was as well. He could feel the loss deep within his soul, struggling to fight its way up and have him choke on sobs. He just wanted to scream into the sky and cry right there, heedless of his duties as Shield, but Gladiolus knew better. He would have to swallow up this emotion and deal with it another time, his duty called and the storm didn't seem like it was ready to yet pass...

"If you're looking for the whole truth, you know where to find me." Cor's voice spoke again from the phone's speaker. "Get moving."

"Right." Noctis said, finality in his tone.

"What did the marshal... have to say?" Ignis asked, even though they all knew well what Cor had said over the phone, trying to act as though there was some level of privacy to the call.

"Said he'd be in Hammerhead." Noctis said.

"And the king?" Gladiolus played along, although it killed him to do so.

Noctis remained silent and the four stared at the wreckage that was left of their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't think I've said it yet, but thank you for any Kudos and comments, I appreciate them. I always worry that I'm not really doing the story justice since this is the first thing I've written in 5 years (and my first guy/guy fic ever!) Critique is always appreciated and welcome.
> 
> So I actually enjoyed writing this scene (I'm terrible, right?) because of the emotion when they find out that Insomnia had fallen, I always love writing emotional scenes because I love the raw emotions that I get to channel into them. The _really_ fun part was that their faces were so... stiff... (hence the tag) I red the scene out to my husband once it was finished and then he watched the cut scene and he just looked at me and said "they were more emotional in your story" so yeah...  >.> I really hope I transitioned well between the scripted events and what I've written. I always worry that it won't mesh well and see obvious. And also, is it just me or was that scene weird when Prompto dropped his phone? It just seemed really awkward and just out of sync, like they meant for it to happen sooner but never fixed it?


	10. Ignis

"There should be reports before long." Ignis told the group about the city in regards to the papers, surely everything couldn't remain in the dark forever.

"Yeah," Gladio agreed, "Something this big can't go ignored."

"And what about us?" Prompto asked nervously. "What do we do?"

"We make for Hammerhead now," Gladiolus answered, "and figure out the rest later."

Ignis tried to make sense of everything so he could formulate their next move.The fact that the Niflheim Empire thought Noctis dead was a fact they could use to their advantage. One thing was for sure though: they needed to figure out why the Empire would set up such an elaborate trap.

Gladiolus' phone rang and Ignis could hear the man shift in his seat suddenly.

"Got a message from my sister," Gladio said with relief, "she's with refugees bound for Lestallum."

Ignis smiled bitterly despite himself and unconsciously tightened his grip on the wheel. At least _someone_ in the car had received good news.

Prompto sighed, "Well at least Iris is okay."

"Yeah. Doesn't sound like everyone else was so lucky, though." Gladiolus informed, explaining what Iris had sent.

"We'd best make haste." Ignis said as he turned into Hammerhead, "Noct won't be dead forever."

"No going back--only way's forward." Prompto thought aloud.

Noctis took a shaky breath. "'No going back'." he repeated to himself.

Cindy was already outside and staring at them from the shop as the four exited the car.

"Hey." Gladio greeted.

"Glad y'all could make it." Cindy said, relief coming off of her in waves, her words eliciting a weak and feeble laugh from Prompto. "No weather for drivin', that's for sure."

"Our thanks." Ignis told her.

"Where's Cor?" Noctis asked suddenly.

"Left to see to business, and left y'all a message with Paw-paw." Cindy answered.

"Yeah?" Noctis said, disappointment in his voice.

"Boss ain't sat still one second since he heard y'all were comin'." Cindy continued, looking toward the garage with concern, "I think he wanted to talk to y'all about somethin' else, too."

Ignis nodded and gave his thanks as they made their way over to the garage to talk to Cid, the old man was sitting in a back corner by a desk with his head in his hands.

"Heya," Prompto began when no one would speak, "Cindy said you wanted to talk to us?"

Cid looked up painfully and spoke, "Crystal and the King's ring--what they been after all along."

Everyone was shocked at the candidness of the reply. It was matter-of-fact and the four just looked at each other and then back at Cid.

"So all talk of peace was merely a pretext." Ignis said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"They played my father for a fool." Noctis thought aloud bitterly.

"Don't kid yourself." Cid rebuked quickly, grabbing a wrench from the desk to pull in his lap, he then adopted a gentler tone. "Reggie wasn't born yesterday. Lucis got dealt a losin' hand and your old man played it the best he could." Cid looked up into Noctis' face before continuing. "He saw this comin' a mile away, and he wasn't gonna go down without a fight."

Noctis drew in a sharp breath at the man's words.

"In the end though... Well it just wasn't enough." Cid took a deep breath himself, unable to continue as he leaned over the wrench in his lap. He finally sat up after a long moment and set the tool back on the desk next to a picture frame. "You need something, you talk to Cor." Cid stood up and tacked on painfully, regretfully, "I can't even remember he last time I saw Reggie. Feels like a lifetime ago."

The old mechanic walked out, leaving everyone in shocked silence. Ignis, after watching Cid exit, looked closer at the picture that had caught his attention a moment ago. The photo lay in a white frame and showed Cid and the late King Regis with a couple other men, all much younger, with a lighthouse in the background. It seemed to wake something in Noctis as he looked at other three.

"Let's go find Cor." he said, finally breaking the heavy silence that lay thick inside the garage.

"Cor left a message, said he'll wait for ya in the tombs. They're northwest of here, just a short ways past the outpost." the old mechanic said, showing them on their map. "Find that first."

 

******************

 

As Ignis drove they talked amongst themselves.

"They will have sealed off the city by now." Ignis began, driving into the setting sun.

They probably had a few hours, but Ignis was leery of driving out in these lands at night, not knowing quite how they would manage against the daemons that roamed after the moon rose.

"What do you think it's like inside?" Prompto wondered.

"I don't know." Noctis replied dismissively. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"We'll see for ourselves in time." Gladio offered up, hoping it would satisfy Prompto for now.

"Indeed." Ignis continued Gladio's train of thought. "Merely a question of when."

"Can't believe the Crystal's gone." Prompto ended up saying after a moment.

"The bastards took it all." Gladiolus sighed, running a hand through his hair to get it out of his face in a gesture that was merely symbolic as the top of the car was down.

"And we'll take it back." Noctis promised.

"This is far from over." Ignis agreed, nodding.

About an hour later they pulled into the outpost--Prairie Outpost it said on the map--and the sun was beginning to just touch the horizon.

"Looks like a hub for Hunters." Gladiolus remarked as they made their way toward a large, open building.

"Maybe they know something." Prompto offered.

They had hoped to possibly find Cor there, but when they entered they received a welcome surprise.

"Your Highness, I'm glad you're safe." A woman said as she bowed to Noctis, she wore a white shirt under a black button-up, with black pants and belt to match. Her short grey hair lay smoothly on her head as she regarded them all with brown eyes.

"Monica!" Gladiolus exclaimed in surprise. "Where're all the others?"

"Most of the Crownsguard didn't make it." Monica told them sadly. "It was all we could do to escort Lady Iris out of the city. Dustin is with her as we speak, seeing her the rest of the way to Lestallum."

"I owe you guys big time." Gladio admitted, gratefulness dripping from his voice.

Monica nodded in acknowledgement, "Head for the tomb. The Marshal awaits."

As they exited out of the back of the building toward the tombs they heard a female voice come from a nearby radio that had several bouquets of blue sylleblossoms arranged around it.

_Across the land, sylleblossoms from Tenebrae can be seen displayed in memorium. With no remains to mourn, throngs have gathered in Altissia to pay their respects, many offering prayers at a vigil held before the wedding dress Lady Lunafreya was to wear. While some hold out hope the Oracle still lives, a grim silence continues to linger._

The woman's voice announced that they were going to commercial and the radio began to play an ad for EXINERIS.

They continued to make their way out of the outpost toward the Tomb. _Hopefully we can get there and back to the Haven campground within the time that the sun completely set..._ Ignis thought to himself.

"Can't keep up with this guy." Gladiolus groaned.

"First the Crown City, then Hammerhead, then the royal tomb?" Prompto asked in awe at Cor and his inability to apparently stay in one place.

"His nickname should have been 'Cor the Restless'." Ignis agreed.

"Somehow not as catchy as 'Cor the Immortal'." Gladiolus countered.

They passed a fence with a sign warning of daemons as they approached the path that led to the tomb.

"Making it out of Insomnia only adds to his legend." Prompto agreed.

"Well," Noctis sighed, "fortune favors the bold."

"Huh?" Prompto questioned, confused.

"The wise make their own luck." Ignis tried to clarify to the younger blond.

"You think it's coincidence that he's made it out of all those battles alive?" Gladiolus asked as they turned up an offshoot of the dirt path they were on.

Several daggerquills that were flying overhead descended towards them and began attacking at that moment, forcing the group to hold off on their conversation as they hacked at the flying beasts. Gunshots filled the air as Prompto shot at them and Noctis phased toward them to get a better vantage. Gladiolus and Ignis were left to attack feebly from the ground, only able to land any hits when the flying beasts dove at them from the air. Once they were defeated, Noctis phased back to the ground, slightly green.

"I hate having to do that." he admitted, gagging.

Noctis feebly waved his own comment away as though it would erase his admission and swallowed loudly.

"It's just up ahead." Ignis told Noct in an effort to distract the man from his churning stomach.

While none of them in Noctis' retinue could share his ability to phase from one spot to the other, Ignis knew that it did have a tendency to cause people to throw up quite commonly. Noctis luckily had a stronger stomach than most, but Ignis had passed by some of the Crownsguard and Kingsguard that Regis had allowed to share the phasing ability with. Most could be caught retching during and after practice, hence why they all went on empty stomachs.

"Wonder what drew him to the royal tomb." Gladio said once Noctis had seemed steady again.

"A morbid curiosity for the late Kings of Lucis?" Ignis guessed.

"Only one way to find out." Noctis told them as they began to see the two tall pillars that tended to mark the past kings' tombs.

Noctis was he one who arrived at the stone doors first, opening them. Cor stood, with his back to the door, looking at a statue that stood within the tomb.

"Marshal." Ignis called.

Cor turned at the sound of Ignis' voice and looked at the group. "At last, Your Highness." he said.

"Yeah, wanna tell me what I'm here for?" Noctis asked, staring at the stone figure lying in front of him.

Ignis recognized it as the Tomb of the Wise where the king who built the wall rested with the Sword of the Wise on his sleeping stone figure. Cor walked to the opposite side of the stone figure and held his hand over the sword.

"The power of kings, passed from the old to the new through the bonding of souls." he then held out both hands as though to beholden the figure that lay in front of them. "One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebears' power is your birthright and duty as king."

"My duty as king of what?" Noctis asked dejectedly as Cor and the others watched him.

"Now is not the time to question your calling." Cor said with a hard glint in his eye, turning his head and beginning to pace. "A king is sworn to protect his people."

"And yet he chose to protect only one prince." Noctis said bitterly. "Was that his calling?" Noctis continued, pained. "Forsake the masses to spare his own son?"

"How long will you remain protected?" Cor began, eyes locked onto Noctis and walking steadily toward the younger man in challenge. "The King entrusted the role of protector to you."

"'Entrusted' it to me?" Noctis retorted, his pain swelling as he forged onward and unable to stop himself. "Then why didn't he tell _me_ that? Why did he stand there smiling as I _left_?" Noctis slammed his hand down on the edge of the table that the stone figure lay on and gripped it hard. "Why--"

Ignis couldn't bring himself to move, though he wanted to. He felt the urge to comfort Noctis but knew better, Cor was pushing him to this for a reason and Noctis' retinue knew that. The man didn't do anything without a reason and they all had to trust that the Immortal knew what he was doing better than the three of them were in that moment as they watched on.

"Why did he lie to me?" Noctis asked weakly, sounding as though he were on the brink of tears.

After a moment of silence Cor continued.

"That day, he didn't want you to remember him as the King." Cor admitted to the young now-king gently. "In what time you had left, he wanted to be your father."

Those words were too much for Noctis to bear and tears rolled down his cheeks. The four others watched on as Noctis feebly tried to pull himself together.

"He always had faith in you," Cor continued through Noctis' crying, "that when the time came, you would ascend for the sake of your people."

"Guess he left me no choice." Noctis said sounding hollow as he found the strength to stand tall.

Noct took a breath and held out his hands toward the stone lying in front of them and the sword began to shift and turn into a translucent blue color. It phased out of the stone grasp of its long dead holder with a metallic _**SHING**_ and glowed painfully bright, causing all in the room to look away momentarily and spots danced across Ignis' vision at the light. It lifted into the air, turning from horizontal to vertical and lifting high into the air and stopping for a moment before quickly lying into Noctis' chest quicker than anyone could react, disappearing as it hit the young King between his ribs. It struck right over his heart. Noctis' body glowed slightly blue and the sword appeared, still transparent and blue, an arms' length away from Noct's body; it rotated around him and spun in its place as it went. Noctis couldn't help but put his hand over his chest.

"The power of Kings goes with you, Your Majesty." Cor informed.

Just like that the light was gone.

"That's not the only power your forebears' left you." Cor went on. "Your journey's just begun. Another tomb lies close by. I suggest you head there next."

Suddenly Ignis was glad that Regis had asked him to read up on the Covenant: that folder had all the known locations of the tombs, even if some of the places had been lost to time. They could find them all if they used what resources they had, try to strike a potential deal with Dino or maybe even see if Dave could help gather intel. The feat wouldn't be easy by any means, but it was feasible given hard work.

"There are tombs scattered across the land. All are on dangerous ground. I'll go with you for the time being." Cor told them. "Not only to help, but to get a measure of your strength."

"So how many of these 'powers' are out there?" Noctis asked as they headed out.

"There are thirteen known Royal Arms, each enshrined at a royal tomb, though we know the location of only a few." Cor answered as they began to approach the two tall pillars. "I've enlisted the help of the Hunters. They comb the land in search of the lost tombs."

"Hmph. Where's the one nearby you mentioned?" Noct questioned.

"Keycatrich Trench." Cor informed. "We know there to be a crypt deep inside the tunnels."

They headed back down the pathway to the main dirt track, Ignis looked at the sky. he sun would set any minute and they were all exhausted from the day's events.

"Might I suggest we at least rest for the night before bounding into any dangerous tunnels? I do believe we are all quite worn out." Ignis suggested. "I saw a Haven campground nearby the Hunter outpost, and by what I've heard the enchantments are still strong so we won't have to worry about daemons tramping in while we rest."

The group nodded in ascent and they headed toward the campground with Gladiolus and Cor volunteering to get the camping gear and pull the car closer. Ignis agreed and tossed the keys to Gladio as he, Prompto, and Noctis headed up to the flat, rune glowing stretch of rock. Noctis sat on one corner with his legs dangling over the side, sniffling quietly to himself.

"Hey Iggy, you mind if I..." Prompto started, looking over at his crush and best friend painfully.

"Go on, I doubt that anything is going to happen between now and when the other two arrive." Ignis said just as the Regalia was already pulling up below.

"Thanks." Prompto said quietly, walking over to Noctis to keep him company in hopes of preventing some sort of downward spiral.

Cor and Gladiolus had popped the trunk and were hauling equipment up while Ignis had arranged some wood that had been left into the center of the area to begin a fire when they were ready. Gladio began setting up the tent while Cor brought up the sleeping bags, Ignis went down to grab a few pots and the wash tub for afterward which contained their eating utensils when he realized belatedly that they only had four of everything. While he had already thought to bring up a sleeping and guarding schedule with Gladio after the recent events he didn't think about the fact that they would be a literal plate short... _I suppose I shall just eat last_. Ignis thought to himself. The Adviser brought up the items and set them next to the still unlit fire and waved to Gladiolus for his attention.

"A moment, Gladio?" he called to the man.

"Sure Iggy, give me just a sec." Gladio answered, nailing the ropes into the ground the best he could to the rock, after he was satisfied that it wouldn't come tumbling down to smother them in the middle of the night he headed over to Ignis. "Yeah, what's up?"

"We need to come up with a sleeping arrangement." Ignis stated to the muscled man.

"I'm assuming you're not talking about sleeping bags, although that's a problem too with five of us." Gladio admitted, scratching the back of his head and helping Ignis to light the fire.

"No, it's not." Ignis said seriously. "We need to figure out a way for us to keep an eye out at all hours of the night, a guard shift if you will."

Gladiolus nodded. "I was actually just thinking about that myself. On our own we could do it just the two of us, but right now I doubt Cor would appreciate it if we didn't let him pull a shift as well."

"You're right, I wouldn't." Cor agreed, coming up behind them with water. "I'll take the first shift, you two can fight over who gets what afterward."

The look of Cor's face as he said it showed no room for argument and the two men were too tired to quarrel over who stayed up when anyway. When the two men nodded Cor went back to grab the chairs.

"I'll take the last shift so I may be awake to prepare breakfast for everyone." Ignis offered as he chose a pot.

He had decided to make a simple Quillhorn soup. While they lacked the Dualhorn steak that the recipe called for it could still be made with daggerquill breast--though that technically made it an almost Daggerquill broth if it weren't for the onion--which he had taken some meat from when they headed back toward the outpost, using a little bit of ice magic to preserve it. Ignis began cutting and dicing the ingredients as he and Gladio discussed what they were going to do.

"Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. I never say no to your cooking anyway." Gladio grinned slightly, though the smile couldn't quite reach his eyes.

Ignis was about to ask how the man was faring but Prompto had walked over, interrupting them causing Ignis to scowl momentarily before looking up at the younger man.

"So Noct is just gonna go to sleep..." he said hesitantly, unable to look Ignis full-on in the eye.

"He can wait until the food is done, it's almost ready as it is." Ignis told him, looking over the young man's shoulder to see Noctis step into the tent. "Watch this."

Ignis strode over to the tent and stopped just at the entrance, realizing that he could hear Noctis and Cor talking about his father. He hesitated, loathe to interrupt what may have well been the late-king's last words to his son, and turned back toward the fire. He would deal with it when the food was done.

 

***********************

 

After the food had been eaten--Noctis had taken quite a bit of coaxing to come out of the tent--and dishes washed, Prompto and Noctis retired to the tent, both falling asleep quickly. Cor began to take a stance farther away from the fire so that it wouldn't blind him to what may lie beyond their little campground, leaving Ignis and Gladiolus next to the fire in silence other than the crackling flame.

"How are you faring, Gladio?" Ignis asked, continuing when Gladiolus had remained oddly silent. "Gladio?"

Ignis looked over to find the man silently shaking, lips turned into a painful frown and tear tracks on his cheeks. Ignis lay a hand on top of the other man's and it seemed to break whatever wall Gladio had thrown up to deal with the day's events.

"Iris is okay." he cried, barely audible. "She's alive, and she's okay."

Gladio tried to wipe away his tears of relief and sadness with the back of his free hand as he sniffled and gasped for air when his sobs grew more fierce. Gladio continued to sob for a long while and Ignis scooted his chair closer to the older man who turned to lay his face on Ignis' shoulder as his body became wracked with sobs.

"I--hic--already knew that my dad would be..." Gladiolus couldn't bring himself to say "dead". He took several more hiccuping gasps before he could continue. "He did his duty as Shield, he tried to protect the king..."

"At least young Iris made her way out safely, Monica and Dustin made sure to that." Ignis reminded him, releasing Gladio's hand and embracing the man.

Ignis knew that Cor had to hear Gladio's loud sobs, and knew Prompto and Noctis enough to know that they were dead to the world, and was grateful for the privacy that he was giving although the man must have lost so much himself. Eventually Gladiolus stopped crying and was reduced to small gasps as he tried to catch his breath. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with his hand.

"Man that's embarrassing," Gladio couldn't help but chuckle sadly, "to fall quickly to pieces like that."

"No worse than I at the Quay." Ignis reminded him, having been equally embarrassed at his own sudden outburst of emotion.

"Well if we're gonna become some sort of item then that's just something that comes with the territory, I guess." Gladio admitted to the bespectacled man, shrugging and looking him in the eye. "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary, as you said, it's something that is only natural." Ignis nodded to the man. "I don't know about you, but I am going to retire for the night, care to join me?"

Gladiolus nodded and stood up with Ignis as he headed to the tent, the two of them quickly letting Cor know who was the next on the shift before they stepped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always imagined the Gladio would have cried over the fact that his sister made it out alive and well/, although it would have been no surprise to him ever about his father (because that would almost be expected). Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Another one will be posted week after next. ;)


	11. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have an early posting! The wonderful PorcelainLove decided to gift me an awesome story called Tick Tock and you guys should go check it out! (I consider chapters 1-3 cannon for this series) And don't stop there, she's got some awesome stuff! I'll still be posting next Monday, so keep your eyes out for another chapter soon! ;)  
> (I also plan on cleaning this up better when I get home from work later tonight, so don't judge my sloppy work, lol)

The next thing Gladiolus knew he was being woken up by Cor to begin his watch, his eyes still felt slightly puffy from tears as he quietly crept over the sleeping bodies and zipped the tent closed behind him, allowing the other man to take his place in the now-vacated sleeping bag. Finding a spot outside of the light of the fire that Cor had kept going for some form of warmth, Gladio continued watch. He still felt the pang of loss for his father and the stronger feeling of relief that Iris was alive and still fine, unfortunately--due to current events that seemed to take hold, as well as his ever-growing duty to his charge--Gladiolus knew that he had no time to properly mourn, but still he was glad to Ignis for allowing him a rare moment of weakness.

Speaking of the man, Gladio still wasn't sure where they stood on the relationship front. He remembered what one of the Crownsguard had said once--that Ignis wasn't fond of terms of endearment, or at least not typical ones, and wasn't big on technical titles like "boyfriend" either--but he supposed that he would definitely know if the man _wasn't_ interested and wanted to call it off. Ignis was an enigma that Gladio most definitely intended to solve, even if it be at the other man's pace... Suddenly the sky began to light up as red beacon lights shown up as well as search lights panning the ground from what Gladiolus could only imagine was Imperial Airships, seeming to head in the direction that the group had gone in to visit the royal tomb. It was a hell of a coincidence and he stiffened suddenly as a light suddenly appeared 100 yards away, Gladio went and hurriedly kicked dirt onto the campfire and poked his head into the tent.

"Ignis." Gladio said as loudly as he dared, he didn't know if any MTs were about, and reached out to shake Ignis' leg. "Get Noct and the others up as quickly as you can."

Ignis sat up sleepily, looking at Gladiolus with a blank face for a moment as he tried to process what had just been said to him--it was at this moment that Gladio was grateful that Ignis was a crazy light sleeper because he was the only one to easily wake in the tent. Suddenly Ignis was fully awake and he had turned to wake up Cor--who was almost immediately alert--and had a hand on his weapon the second consciousness hit him. Gladiolus was already gathering their things as quickly as he could while he watched the searchlight slowly moving closer toward their encampment. He loaded up everything into the Regalia below, judging by the sky it was sometime around one in the morning. Gladiolus heard footsteps approach rapidly from behind himself and he made his greatsword appear in a dull flash of blue light as he turned, preparing to swing until he recognized Cor's approaching form. Cor nodded in approval at the reaction time, loading the rest of the gear except the tent--and the supplies inside it--into the trunk.

"I don't think they know we're here." Cor admitted. "But I also don't think we should risk Noctis' life with that gamble, you're making the right call."

Gladiolus nodded, appreciating the praise as they went hurriedly back to the camp. Suddenly the light flared onto the Haven and the two bolted for the first cover they could find: a fresh fire-element deposit. Quickly they began to sweat from the heat radiating from the large group of  rocks.

"Noct--" Gladio began in a strained voice, ready to bolt out of hiding at the slightest movement.

"He should be hiding with Ignis and Prompto, they already had him up and were tearing the tent down when I left." Cor reassured the Shield, placing a hand on his shoulder as the duo anxiously waited for the light to slowly move away.

It had barely been a minute and the heat was already starting to become unbearable, but Gladiolus and Cor couldn't move without being spotted by the probing searchlight and the five of them combined--even if one _was_ the legendary Immortal himself--wouldn't be enough to stop and entire fully-manned airship on their own without back-up. Sweat poured off of them in buckets as the light lingered idly. _Don't you fucking dare land here, damned Niffs._ Gladio thought angrily as the light began to finally move away and drift in the direction of the tomb. After what felt light hours the light was finally far enough away that Gladio and Cor could safely some out from the deposit, their clothes were drenched in sweat that caused their clothes and hair to cling to their bodies and they were both sporting minor burns from getting too close to the more concentrated parts of magic. As they clambered onto the flat surface of the Haven they saw Ignis, Prompto, and Noctis come onto the flat rock as well, all unharmed.

"Thank the Six." Cor murmured quiet enough that only Gladio could hear him.

"You're telling me." Gladio replied as they jogged to the other half of the group.

"Did you run into any MT groups?" Ignis asked immediately, taking in their sweat-soaked states.

Gladiolus shook his head and pointed a thumb in the direction that he and Cor had hidden in. "We ended up havin' to take cover near a group of rocks that had concentrated fire magic in them. What about you guys? Where's the tent and the rest of the stuff?"

"We found a niche in the side of the Haven big enough to hide the stuff in it as well as ourselves." Prompto answered before Ignis could open his mouth, guns in hand and watching the surroundings for any enemies.

When they could no longer hear the Magitek Engines and were sure that no more were coming the five headed to the outpost to deal with Cor and Gladio's burns. Ignis came away from a vendor with a cream variant of a Remedy and offered it up once the cap was off.

"Who has the worst burns?" the Adviser asked, his face analytical but his voice full of concern.

Gladio couldn't repress his snort of laughter as an image of Ignis in a nurse's outfit flitted across his mind.

"I suppose that means the Marshal then." Ignis said dryly at Gladiolus' chuckles of laughter, shaking his head and walking over to Cor who had removed his shirt to reveal a burn that lie length-wise across the small of his back with signs of blistering.

 _Ok, so maybe our burns are a_ little _more serious..._ Gladiolus thought to himself. He could feel the burns on his own back and shoulder as well as on his thigh. Cor's back looked pretty bad though and the man sighed with relief as Ignis generously applied the Remedy to try and help its effect take a faster hold. When it had been smoothed over the wound entirely Cor left his shirt off, allowing the healing cream to take better effect and not rub off on his clothing. Ignis turned to Gladio with his face serious, but the Shield could see the worry lines in the Adviser's face deepen.

"I--ah--have it on more than just my back..." Gladiolus admitted, slightly embarrassed, "and while I don't have any issues with my body or showin' it off, I do generally try and follow the rules of public decency."

"The hiding spot we used behind the Haven is pretty private, maybe you could use that?" Prompto suggested.

Gladio hesitantly nodded and he and Ignis headed to the restaurant.

"So how bad are your burns?" Ignis inquired. "And why did the two of you seek shelter in a _fire deposit_ of all things?"

"Well it was better than _frostbite_ for one," Gladiolus pointed out, entering into the Haven grounds with Ignis right behind him, "also it was the closest to us for good cover. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm kinda bulky with all my muscles sometimes."

Gladiolus flexed as though to show said muscle as the two walked around the back of the Haven and looked around, the spot was a decent size and definitely private enough that no one was going to suddenly come waltzing over. First taking off his shirt and revealing the entirety of his bird tattoo--spanning from the small of his back all the way up to his shoulders, wrapping around them and wound down to past his elbows and on part of his upper chest--and taking off his pants. He could feel Ignis begin to spread the Remedy cream  on one shoulder and then his lower back before he chuckled.

"Not exactly how I had imagined you'd get me out of my--"

"Amicitia!" Ignis growled, affixing Gladiolus with a flat look and a poorly disguised quirk of his lips.

Gladio grinned, "Hey Iggy, just tellin' it like it is."

"Amicitia, you're truly incorrigible." Ignis said quietly, a smirk clear from his tone.

Every time Ignis called him by his last name he grinned and got a trill in his heart. It was like some sort of pet name almost and Gladiolus felt like it was some sort of reward to get Ignis to call him by the name of his house in private conversation. He got the sensation that when the younger man called him by his last name he was more amused that his chastising voice let on, especially since it was always accompanied by some sort of small smirk. Suddenly Gladiolus felt Ignis lift part of the leg of his boxers, causing the behemoth man to jump painfully.

"Woah there! I expect dinner and flowers before you jump there." Gladio told him.

Ignis snorted in response. "Gladiolus, while I would love to cook you dinner and bring you a bouquet of flowers, you actually have a large burn on your wonderfully muscular thigh. Does that reassure you that I am not currently trying to get in your pants for sex at the moment?"

Sweet Bahamut but Ignis joking like that was hot, it also threw the elder man off. It was very forward of the bespectacled man, much more than Gladio was used to in any sort of sense. He awkwardly cleared his throat and tried not to picture Ignis suddenly in his bed with him, the feel of his soft skin sliding sensually atop his, or that hot and clever mouth wrapping around his--.

 _Ramuh's_ balls _, get your shit together man!_ Gladiolus quickly thought, trying to will himself into a calmed state before Ignis could tell how he was being affected, how the man made him hot under the collar.

"Almost done." Ignis said, chuckling slightly as Gladio's boxers twitched against the bigger man's wishes.

Gladiolus could feel himself turn quickly red in the face.

"You know, for a Shield you have a rather _substantial_ sword." Ignis implied, fingers purposefully brushing against the other man's sack as he applied the cream.

Gladiolus groaned involuntarily, shuddering at the touch. Between the Remedy doing its job of giving a speedy recovery and Ignis' forward speech and actions Gladio had no idea what to do with himself. The Adviser made no more brazen advances as he spread cream onto the rest of the burn and they waited for the Remedy to take full effect before Gladio put his pants and shirt back on. Ignis put the cap on the jar of cream and tucked it in a pocket awkwardly. The Shield was surprised that Ignis was performing so well despite a dangerous lack of Ebony running through his veins--although, to be fair, a dangerous situation will do that to you whether you wanted it to or not.

As soon as Gladio began to feel that the pain on his back and thigh were tolerable the duo made their way away from the Haven--Gladio properly clothed--to meet back up with the rest of their group. Cor had put his shirt back on as well and the sun had risen.

"Shall we head out then?" Noctis asked once he made sure everyone was feeling better.

Cor nodded and Cor led them to the ruins that had lie just beyond the tomb. The five had rounded a corner and the caught a glimpse of the decimated architecture ahead, causing Cor to speak up.

"Long years ago, we waged a fierce battle here against the Empire." the Immortal said as Gladio noticed the Imperial ships that had crossed overhead the night before, Cor continued. "It all went to ruin, and after that the Empire moved in like they owned the place."

As the group got closer a they notice a large group of scattered MT soldiers.

"How do we get through that?" Prompto asked no one in particular.

"Take 'em head-on, or sneak up from behind. The choice is yours." Cor answered, looking at Noctis.

Noctis deliberated for a moment as he saw the MTs making rounds, they would see his retinue and himself rather soon... Noctis told them that they might as well face the split groups since they were too close together to actually attempt any decent ambush or surprise attack. He was grateful that they had passed around a potion before heading to the Trench so that their wounds could heal faster.

Noctis quickly phased through the air by throwing his sword at the Magitek Trooper, initiating the fight. The group hacked and slashed their way across the Keycatrich, stopping only to hammer away at the Imperial Forces. One of the airships they came across had two of the large metallic suits that they had sen at the blockade leading to and from Insomnia.

"Magitek Armor." Ignis warned.

"Dangerous?" Noctis asked his Adviser, trying to assess the situation before charging in. Gladiolus was proud of his charge, listening to all the things the Shield had taught him about combat.

"This particular model poses a mild to moderate threat--" Ignis informed.

"The short version." Noctis asked before the skinnier man could launch into a spiel they didn't have time for about the enemy.

Ignis shrugged. "Somewhat dangerous."

"Marshal," the young king began with a dark grin, "you'd have to be pretty bad ass to take that down, right?"

Gladiolus noticed the scowl on Ignis' face when Noctis used "bad ass", the bespectacled man wasn't a fan of their young charge swearing--of course that never stopped Gladio, but the Shield himself was in a different category, even though he was still sometimes on the receiving end of one of his epic and intimidating stare downs.

"Think you're up to it?" Cor asked Noct who nodded. "Let's see what you can do."

They circled around the large machines as best they could while preparing their attack, the large metal husks walking slowly and haltingly. Noctis and the others discussed their strategy and when they all understood their part the group began their attack. The Magitek Armors were complicated to take out, but before too long the two were down and the group was relatively unscathed. The five eventually made it to the entrance that Cor had been talking about.

"Here's where we go our separate ways." Cor said, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to Noctis. "Take this key, it unlocks the doors to the other tombs. Seek them out, and lay claim to the power they hold. You'll need it."

"And what will you do?" Noctis asked the Immortal.

"Keep an eye on the Niffs. Find out what they're up to." Cor admitted, turning to leave and continuing to talk to Noct over his shoulder. "But you should focus on your own task."

With that Cor left, leaving the party to find the Royal tomb. The four looked into the darkened depths.

"Alright," Noctis said to everyone, steeling himself, "let's hit it."

"Lights on, guys!" Prompto told everyone, taking out his clip flashlight like the rest of the group and attaching it to himself, after going a small ways Prompto squinted into the darkness and pointed ahead. "Huh? Look!"

"There's a door." Gladio said as they moved closer.

"What is this place?" Prompto continued to wonder, looking at their surroundings with a sort of wonder.

Sometimes Prompto reminded Gladiolus of a little kid with how often he asked questions about little things, or marveled at odd items, and trinkets, and such.

"It appears to have been a shelter." Ignis realized.

"People lived here?" the gunslinger asked, looking around surprised.

Ignis' face became thoughtful for a moment and Gladiolus knew that the wiry man was trying to figure out how to best approach the subject that Prompto had wandered on to.

Nodding Ignis began to inform the talkative younger man. "Those seeking refuge from war, most like."

"Wars, what are they good for?" Prompto sighed sadly before pondering out loud. "Wonder if anyone's still living here."

The tunnel was just wide enough for most of them to walk through side by side, although they continued onward in a sort of single file. The rock walls were slightly cold and Gladiolus kept scanning their surroundings from the rear while Ignis did the same from the front, Prompto stayed just a step either in front or behind Noctis. If Gladiolus were being completely honest, he didn't think the unspoken arrangement was that bad, it was actually quite well done.

"Huh? What's this?" Prompto wondered out aloud, bending over to inspect something quickly before standing back up and following the item with his eyes going ahead of the group and pointing as he looked back to the rest. "A cable... Wonder where it leads."

"We can follow it and see." Ignis offered, leading them along the cable spanning across the floor and into the darkness.

They followed the mass until they turned and found an open room with what looked like...

"A generator?" Prompto said, surprised and confused at the same time.

"So it would appear." Ignis shrugged.

"Might still run..." The gunslinger said hopefully with a grin aimed toward his best friend.

Noctis smiled back and yanked on the cord several times before the machine sputtered to life, lighting up the lights that hung on the walls and ceiling of the man-made tunnel.

"Sweet, it works!" Prompto declared.

"Then there was light." Ignis joked.

"Oh man," Prompto continued off of Ignis' statement, "I do love me some light."

The four continued down the stretch of tunnel leading downward until they reached something that seemed more like actual architecture than jagged walls. Noctis turned to his right when they reached a T shaped section on the bottom with a door made entirely of rusted metal on their right and a continuance of hallway to their left. The rusted door squeaked and groaned horribly on its hinges as Noctis walked through.

"I can feel eyes on us..." Prompto announced to the party, clearly uncomfortable.

 _Is the kid claustrophobic?_ Gladio wondered, watching Prompto's eyes flit around the room and ceiling as he tried to act casual.

"The second we turn our backs _**BAM**_! AGH!" Prompto let out a startled yell as he accidentally scared himself and turned red in the face from embarrassment.

"Quit being a wuss." Gladio sighed, slightly frustrated but he couldn't help teasing the younger blond.

Prompto remained like that for most of the trip through the tunnels and hallways, making comments about people living or dying in those tunnels and ghosts--something that caused Ignis and Gladio both to roll their eyes. They eventually found their way down lower into the slightly chill cavern until the reached another rusted door that didn't budge when Noctis went to open it up, unable to continue downward they turned around and started to backtrack. Turning right at the top of the small slope they had gone down they entered a large room with a canister with elemental ice magics in it leaned on a stack of abandoned boxes and large double doors to their left. Loud bangs erupted from the other side of the metal slabs and Prompto let out a startled yell.

"What is it?" Ignis asked, looking at the door.

"I don't know." Prompto admitted nervously.

"Whatever it is, it's playing with us." Gladio added, tense.

The door itself was locked, making everyone in the room more and more tense as they tried to come up with some sort of solution more than that they weren't alone down there. As they left the dead end to turn back and prepare to leave they heard the groan of a door.


	12. Ignis

The sound of a door opening wasn't that big of a concern, the sound of a door opening when there shouldn’t be anyone there to open it was a different matter altogether. The group headed to the only other door that wouldn't budge down the small slope and it lie wide open to allow the four through and down the stairs it had been guarding.The staircase was short, but it was starting to feel like the walls were getting closer to them but they soldiered on forward, ever forward until they reached another set of stairs, this time leading up. It stretched on and on until, finally, they ended at yet another rust-encrusted door.  _ We'll all likely need a tetanus shot after this excursion for the Arminger weapon. _ Ignis thought to himself as he took in all the rusted metal. They pushed forward to beyond the door when he realized that they were back up above, they had just made a large loop.

"Huh?" Prompto said, pointing toward a well that Ignis had managed to overlook on their first go around. "That wasn't there before."

Noctis went up to inspect the item that had appeared on the ground, it was a green choker that had been seemingly abandoned as though in someone's haste it had fallen to the wayside. Noctis, still holding the choker looked at the other three with confusion when suddenly several goblins launched themselves from the grated well, flinging themselves at the group. They let out chittering laughs as they slashed at the group, but they were weak and easily disposed of by a couple swings of Gladiolus' greatsword and their daemon corpses lay scattered across the rock floor of the tunnel. The group was starting to make their way back toward the surface when Ignis noticed a hall they had neglected to check.

"Let us look down here, shall we?" Ignis inquired.

"Leave no stone unturned." Noctis agreed, nodding.

The hallway ended with a small crawlspace that opened on the other side, everyone hand to crawl on their hands and knees--or in Gladiolus' case Kingsguard crawl across the floor. It led to another T section and they chose to turn left and continued their way through the tunnels, at the end was a small space that they would have to shimmy sideways through. _Going to be a tight squeeze, especially for a man of Gladio's size._ Ignis noted to himself. They proceeded through the narrow space and emerged on the other side to another long hallway, they settled on ignoring the doors--with Gladiolus and Ignis doing a cursory check to make sure nothing was hiding in the spaces to ambush them again--until they reached another section and turned left when the door on their right was locked. The end held another door and on and on it went, the same things repeating itself over and over until they could move forward no more because of a cave-in, they decided to try a green door that led into a large room since they couldn't move onward and had decided to check each room more thoroughly until they could progress.

"Wait, hear that?" Prompto asked, cupping a hand around his ear.

Luckily that didn't take long, unluckily it also ended up holding enemies which--due to what Cor had told them about the areas that Royal Arms--led the group to believe that this was indeed the right direction. A large Arachne scrawled around on her 6 spindly legs and sent out lightning toward each of the group occasionally. Ignis slashed at her with daggers while Noctis circled from behind to hit her weak spot. The daemon let out a wail of pain as she was struck and began to lash out with two of her front legs, Gladiolus swung his large blade and lopped one leg off and it lay twitching on the floor before disintegrating into blacked and charred dust. The Arachne's screams reverberated off the walls and ceiling loudly, deafening the group as they tried to bring her down. Prompto managed to lodge a bullet deep within her eye and the daemon immediately scratched at the bleeding orb, causing the blackened blood to fall quickly down her face and begin to drip on the floor. The Arachne screamed her rage at Prompto and charged the gunslinger who was trying to take cover. Ignis hopped onto her back and stabbed between her shoulder blades, the tainted blood getting on his hands and making them tingle oddly. Ignis continued stabbing until the daemon sent a small course of lightning through Ignis' body, stunning him as he fell off and the Arachne prepared to skewer him with one of her spindled legs. Gladiolus chopped the leg off and blood spewed from the severed limb, she set her mouth in a snarl of pained berserker rage and let out a cry when Noctis slid beneath her to thrust his blade through her underside. Just like that the battle was done and Noctis had to crawl out from under the dead husk.

"It's over..." Prompto sighed.

There was another crawl space that they went through and when they emerged only the clipped-on lights that they had illuminated the large open space. They moved forward and down another gradual slope until they reached the bottom. The tomb doors lie on their right and Noctis jogged to them and turned the old key in the lock until he heard a click and the doors opened slowly to allow them passage. The Royal Arminger inside was a large axe and--much like the first tomb they had visited the day before--Noctis raised his hand toward the weapon, it became translucent and flew into his chest to rotate around him and spin in place next to the sword he already had.

"So Noct borrows the old kings' powers?" Prompto asked, trying to understand.

"More or less." Ignis admitted. "At this rate, he'll soon rival his father's legacy."

"Well?" Prompto asked, curiosity dripping from his voice. "What's it like?"

"Hmm..." Noctis started, his voice coy. "Like I've got some tricks up my sleeve."

"No need to put on a magic show for _us_." Gladio teased.

"But it never hurt to practice." Ignis countered.

With that they made their way toward the entrance, when they reached the surface they realized that they had spent the entirety of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon wandering the tunnels and hallways of the underground maze. Noctis' phone buzzed and he answered it with a flick of a finger across the screen.

"Yeah?" the Royal began.

"Finally picked up." Cor's voice said from the other end with a tinge of worry that was almost imperceptible. "Thought I'd lost another king."

"Just busy building my arsenal." Noctis brushed off.

"Good to hear." Cor told him. "I have a task for you. The Empire has begun construction of a new base, along the road west to Duscae. I need you to put it out of construction." The Immortal's voice was firm on the other side. "If left unchecked, it will cost us access to the west--and all the royal tombs that lie beyond. I believe you've met Monica. She can fill you in on the details. Go see her."

"What's up?" Prompto asked, not paying attention to the phone call.

"People to see, bases to burn." Noctis told him. "Let's go see Monica at the outpost."

 

**********************

 

When they arrived again at the outpost they found Monica leaning against a building by a group of cars, seeming to be waiting for the group. She stood up straight when Noctis and retinue arrived.

"Your Highness." Monica greeted, first Noctis then nodding politely to the rest of the group. "The Marshal has apprised me of the plan. We've found a back door into the Imperial base. I'll mark the route on your map." Ignis handed Monica the map and she marked as she continued. "The way is secure. You should be able to gain entry relatively easily."

And with that they were dismissed with promises of meeting up separately later at the location. Ignis insisted on wiping off in the daemon's blood with a wet wipe from a small case that he had placed inside the Regalia's glove box in case of emergencies. After cleaning up they piled into the car and Ignis looked at the map, Ignis noted where they could park without being too close and then set off toward the base.

"So who is this Monica person?" Prompto asked.

"A servant of the Crownsgaurd, like Gladio and myself." Ignis answered.

"She's one of my father's best." Gladio continued where Ignis had left off. "Along with Dustin--who's guarding my sister."

"Good to know we still have people we can count on outside the city." Noctis admitted, relieved.

Ignis parked the car and they made their way toward a break in the large wall of rock the lay ahead of them. The Adviser hoped that it wouldn't last long, the sun would set in a handful of hours. The thin crevasse that had been mentioned was well hidden to the point that they almost missed it until Prompto managed to point it out. Inside Monica was waiting for them, having been the first to leave.

"From here we will split into two groups. Prince Noctis," Ignis noticed that she was still calling Noctis 'Prince' since he wasn't officially the king yet, "please join the Marshal up ahead. The rest of you will assist me in the diversionary effort."

"I'll see you guys later." Noctis told them, turning to look at the three.

"You go give 'em hell. We'll do the same on our end." Gladiolus told Noct, reassuring him.

Everyone watched as Noctis shimmied through the opening to meet Cor, when he disappeared Monica turned to face them.

"So how are we to do this?" Ignis inquired.

"The Marshal and I think that if we were to keep their attention to the front gate itself by attacking the troupes stationed there, it should draw enough attention that they just might overlook the Prince and Cor themselves." Monica told them.

"Well then what're we waiting for?" Gladiolus asked, a dark grin splitting his face. "We got some Niffs to fuck with."

The group headed toward the gate where a dozen MT troupes were pacing and fiddling with weapons, which contained a mixture of guns, swords, and a few MT Assassins with daggers. They four quickly discussed what areas they would each cover before they charged in loudly, announcing their presence with none of them being the wiser.

The Assassins with their quick speed were the first to reach them for battle, hacking and slashing quickly with their cold blades slicing through skin when they made contact. Blades clashed, blood flew, and MTs began dropping like flies. Ignis flipped with help of a polearm and used the downward momentum to thrust a dagger in the face of another MT. He could feel the blade go through with a sickening CRUNCH and the MT crumbled under the weight and momentum of the Adviser, going down like a sack of building stones to his right Ignis could see Monica with teeth bared and body striking like a terrifying Coeurl with its claws and teeth ready to rip prey apart. She let out a loud battle cry as she used a dagger to slit the throat of a battery soldier and twisted his neck in one fell swoop for good measure. Gladiolus was using his greatsword to both cut and bat enemies with its sheer weight and power alone, while Prompto was having a difficult time staying at a distance and sometimes had to phase a dagger into his hands to fend off the soldiers. When the gunslinger wasn't swarmed he went about his designated targets: the Imperial Snipers and Riflemen that were taking pot shots at them from the top of the gate.

Imperial and Magitek bodies piled around the four as they made quick work of the enemies that began pouring from the gate that had fractionally opened to backup their dying troupes. Shock Troopers launched out and tried to attach their cables to the group, managing to latch one onto Gladio who struggled to remove it. Monica swiftly struck out at the Shock Trooper with Ignis who speared it with a polearm, ceasing the electric current from the cable from which it was dubbed. Gladiolus ripped the claw out from his side and let out a guttural roar, storming against several Imperial Batteries at once. Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as they kept on with that same pace until the gates opened and the attacks against the four stopped.

"Noct!" Prompto shouted, walking toward his friend.

"Marshal. It's good to see you again." Ignis greeted with a nod.

"Alright on your end?" Noctis asked, looking them over.

"Right as rain." Gladiolus shrugged. "The Niffs couldn't take their eyes off us."

Monica had stayed on the other side of the gate to watch for any reinforcement from the nearby base.

"Thanks to you we were spared their attention." Cor said in way of thanks.

As if Niflheim had heard their words an airship began making its way from the Duscae region to settle over the blockade.

"Stay right where you are." warned a man's voice from the airship's loudspeaker. "Well, well, if it isn't Cor the Immortal. So you survived the Citadel. But you won't survive what I have in store for you. It's past time your legend came to an end." the voice threatened.

The airship's back hatch opened to reveal a red Magitek Armor, it was large and had a missile pack on its right shoulder and clamps on the ends of the arms. They decided without speaking to go at the legs of the machine, hopefully rendering the large metal husk unable to move. They managed to take out one leg, forcing the great Armor to kneel while they worked at the rest of the metal, trying to destroy the entirety.

"Highness!" Ignis yelled at Noctis, tossing him a magic flask.

He knew Noctis would instinctually know what was in it immediately: lightning magics strong enough to hopefully fry the Magitek Armor's system and render it useless. The plan even worked, but better then expected when Noctis threw the magic flask from a distance and they all watched the Armor explode.

"Impressive." Cor admitted to them. "Seeing you in action puts my mind at ease. It's clear I don't need to worry any more. I'll return to watching the Niffs. 'Til next time, take care."

And with that Cor took his leave, giving his blessing to them as a cohesive fighting unit. The sun was beginning to set and they made their way into the Duscae regions once Ignis declared that he was going to get the car.

"Ain't so bad out here once you get used to it." Gladiolus admitted when Ignis had returned to them with the car in tow.

"Still a lot we haven't seen, though." Prompto reminded the Shield.

"And a lot for us to do." Ignis tacked on.

Prompto sighed. "Yeah."

"Buck up." Gladio teased the blond gunslinger. "We're just getting started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let me tell you guys how long I played, reloaded, paused, and replayed this dungeon to try to stay as accurate as possible... lots... it was lots...


	13. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOR THOSE THAT READ THIS AT WORK THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW!

Gladio lay stretched out on the camper's small couch and thought about what had happened once the four of them had reached the gas station posted not too far outside the barrier that they had just fought through. The station itself was nothing fancy and the camper they rented for the rest of the night was definitely nothing to write home about--not that there was a home to really write to anyway at this point. Noctis' phone had rung and the man had apparently turned the volume down at some point--probably just before he fought with Cor's aide--to not draw attention and turned down the actual phone volume as well.

"Who could this be?" Noctis wondered aloud as he looked at his phone and answered it. "Hello?"

Gladiolus could hear that the voice was feminine, but other than that he couldn't actually make out any discernible words.

"Iris?" Noctis said, surprised.

Gladio's heart stopped, Iris was on the phone with Noct! She must have still been talking because Noctis remained silent, staring into the distance but not really paying attention to it.

"Yeah, will do." Noctis said, hanging up the phone a moment later.

"Was that Iris?" he couldn't help but laugh at his sister for her mixed priorities sometimes. "Can't even call her own brother."

"In all fairness, yours wasn't the obituary broadcast all over Lucis." Ignis defended the girl, morbid amusement notwithstanding.

"What about me?" Prompto chimed in. "She say thing about me?"

"Not really, Prom." Noctis rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Awe." Prompto moaned with mock sadness, breaking out into a wide contagious smile when he noticed the large yellow sign with glowing letters saying 'Wiz Chocobo Post'. "Did you see that sign? Chocobos! ... CHOCOBOS!"

"No time for that. Need to get to Lestallum." Gladiolus told the gunslinger, rolling his eyes skywards with an exasperated huff at the kid's obsession with the feathery creature.

"It's still ages away." Prompto argued in a slightly whining voice. "C'mon, just a quick visit?"

Noctis just stared at Prompto for a moment, then Gladiolus and his phone and sighed.

"First thing's first: Lestallum." Noctis said with a tone of finality that showed no room for argument.

"Alright," Prompto said with crossed arms, but giving up on the subject, "but next time we check out the chocobos!"

Gladio chuckled lightly, the kid might be annoying at times but his innocence was relieving sometimes, kid was a pretty acute empath and could read a room like no one's business. While Gladiolus had no doubt the gunslinger truly wanted to see the feathered animal, but he knew that it would make everyone smile for a moment and there were times when that was what they all needed.

Ignis had stepped out for a moment to see inside the gas station's store and spend what little gil they had left from the Leide region on some curatives and food. They were safe enough in the camper though, so Gladiolus stepped out to seek the Adviser. Ignis, it had turned out, had been deliberating whether or not to buy a small bag of Ebony that he certainly didn't need. He put down the airtight bag as Gladiolus quietly stepped up behind him.

"Heya Iggy, was wondering what was taking you so long." Gladio chuckled. "You still have a good portion of that Ebony bag left."

"Yes, but I always am tempted to get this flavor. It's my personal favorite: Graela Vanilla blend. The beans are quite exquisite and the aroma is more tantalizing than almost anything I've ever had the luck to find." Ignis admitted, sighing.

Ignis held some food in one arm: a package of Arba bacon, a small bag of chocobeans, a couple bottles of sheep's milk, and a bit of garlic, while in the other he held two potions and a single Phoenix Down.

"Damn Iggy, you been holding out on us?" Gladio whistled.

"You know very well that I would never do such a thing, Gladio." Ignis tsked. "However if we are to be revived in battle we will need this Phoenix down badly. This is honestly the last of our funds and we shall need to pick up a hunt or two when we reach Lestallum tomorrow."

Gladio nodded, grabbing some of the food from Ignis. Phoenix Downs were somewhat expensive and he wouldn't be surprised if this were the last of the group's meager coffers. Out here Noctis didn't have an nearly limitless supply of coin or a tab that he could start. The Shield stopped as the two made for the counter to pay, he stopped as he managed to find a small cup noodle display.

"Gladio, the man needs to have everything if he is to ring us up." Ignis called.

Forcing himself away from the deliciously noodly goodness, Gladio walked the rest of the way to the clerk and set the load on the counter. Once everything was present the man began to clack away on the machine.

"That'll be 1,470 gil, sirs." the clerk droned.

Ignis handed over the money and the clerk double counted it, dubbing it enough and placing all the items in a paper bag and wishing the duo a good evening. As the Shield and Adviser stepped out into the night, seeing the Disk glowing in the distance. It was beautiful. Beauty aside though, the thought of having to find all of the Royal Arminger Weapons was somewhat of a daunting task with most locations being lost to time. Even the "Covenant" folder that was still safely tucked into Ignis' bag only had estimates; how many were known to be in this location or that location, what the weapons were and whom they belonged to, and some even had detailed descriptions of how they looked.

"So how are we gonna find all the Royal Arms?" Gladiolus finally asked. "We don't even know where most of them are."

"Well..." Ignis began as they made their way to the camper they had rented for the night. "I was thinking about seeing how we could pull strings with Dino as much as I'm loathe to do so, there is also Cor scanning the ground, as well as Dave that we might be able to get some Hunters looking as well."

"Why do I feel like we're going to be chasing rumors?" Gladio groaned as they stepped into the camper where Noctis and Prompto lay in the back.

"Because the probability of us doing that is rather high, if we're being completely honest." Ignis admitted with a sigh. "If you're up to it, however, I wouldn't mind going through the folder with you."

Gladiolus nodded. "Didn't King Regis have to do this as well?"

"Yes, but he only did the ones that have recorded locations, there was also no pressing matters that forced him into seeking out the rest of them." Ignis answered, opening the camper door and setting the groceries inside.

Gladiolus felt a shiver down his spine at that, almost foreboding in feeling, that things were going to get much worse before it got anywhere near to better. He watched as Ignis freed the documents from his suitcase and sat down at the table that sit in front of the camper, spreading out the map so that the two could read it by the light of the full moon alongside the entirety of the Covenant folder.

"There is currently only one known in the area, but I have heard tell of one that was located near Costlemark Tower. The validity of that fact is unknown, seeing as no one has been able to confirm where the Sword of the Tall disappeared to long ago." Ignis said, pointing and marking the known locations as well as potential locations on the map. "Once we are in Lestallum we should take some hunts in those areas to kill two birds with one stone as it were."

Gladiolus agreed, it made a fair amount of sense and he was up for it. However Gladio also couldn't help but notice how the Adviser's hair lit up almost silver in the light of the moon. He just wanted to reach out and touch it, run his hand through it and feel it between his fingers, and it wasn't until he heard Ignis' breathing hitch that he realized he was mere inches from doing just that. Gladiolus looked into the Adviser's eyes as he slowly forged onward, hesitating only a fraction before he gave in and did what he had been thinking of a moment before. _His hair is so soft._ Gladio thought to himself, bringing his hand down to cup Ignis' cheek. The Adviser turned his head into the Shield's palm, looking up at the man from beneath his lashes and Gladio felt his cheeks redden and his heart started pounding loudly in his chest to the point that he was sure the younger man could hear it clearly as they could hear each other's uneven breaths over the chirping of insects in the background. The Shield slowly began tot lean toward Ignis and stopped inches away from the other man's lips.

"May I... kiss you?" Gladio breathed in a husky voice.

Ignis swallowed, adam's apple bobbing momentarily while his eyes flicked from Gladio's lips to his eyes. "Yes." he whispered back, closing the gap.

Their lips met and Gladiolus felt the world melt away until it were just the two of them. The kisses started out as simple pecks that turned hungrier and more fierce as the action was repeated. Ignis' ungloved hand--when had _those_ come off?--found its way into Gladio's hair and tangled into his locks, whereas Gladio's hands had found their way onto Ignis' hips to pull the Adviser closer. Heat pooled low in Gladio and he felt himself twitch and press against the fabric of his too-tight pants. Ignis moaned softly into Gladiolus' mouth and he pulled the skinnier man into his lap in response, with Ignis gripping Gladiolus' hair in his fist as he gained a better vantage to kiss the Shield.

"We really should be trying to plan." Ignis managed to feebly say between their lustful kisses.

"Screw it, we can go over them in Lestallum." Gladio waved off, his voice dropping a husky octave.

Ignis' lips parted and Gladio snaked his tongue inside to dance together in a tango of heated breaths and saliva. Breaking the kiss, Gladiolus began to make his way down to Ignis' neck, kissing, licking, and nipping until Ignis' cheeks were obviously red even in the light of the moon and the Adviser was letting out soft moans into the night air. Slowly Gladio undid the buttons of the Adviser's shirt one by one until he was staring at the beautiful ivory expanse that was Ignis' torso.The man shivered at the cool air hitting his skin and Gladio continued his kisses down Ignis' chest, pausing first to tease a nipple into hardness before turning his attention to the opposite. Without warning Ignis grabbed a fistful of hair in his hair and yanked back, taking Gladio's mouth with his own with fervent kisses that undid the muscled man until he couldn't take anymore.

"Ignis." he breathed.

Emerald eyes flashed and Ignis smiled, biting his lips as he moved off of Gladiolus' lap and retreated away, beckoning the Shield to follow. How could Gladiolus ever say no to _that_? He rose from his seat and followed Ignis into the shadow of a tree and smiled at the man.

"Getting shy?" Gladio teased.

"What have I to be shy about?" Ignis countered, a smirk growing wide on his face.

Gladiolus bit his lip and let out a deep breath, he just couldn't predict the man in front of him, enigma that he was. Moving forward they crushed their mouths together and tumbled into the grass, with the Shield over top Ignis. Suddenly Gladiolus hesitated, nervous. It was silly, but...

"Something the matter, Gladio?" Ignis asked quietly, watching the man and tracing his cheek with just fingertips.

"I... ah..." Gladiolus cleared his throat. "Just nerves."

Ignis sat up and looked deep into Gladiolus' eyes, realization dawned on the young Adviser.

"You're a virgin." he said simply.

Gladio's cheeks suddenly burned hot and he backed away for a moment out of embarrassment.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" Gladio stammered out.

Ignis smiled and leaned over Gladiolus, pressing a kiss to his temple.

"There are tells, and you're displaying all of them." Ignis moved the Shield's chin so that the muscled man was now looking up at him. "We'll save this for a later date, I don't want your first time to be in the dirt. Besides, that would be hard to explain to the other two."

Ignis got up and began to move toward where they had left their map and folder, gathering them into his arms and making sure none had gotten lost. Gladio scrambled to his feet, cheeks still hot.

"Tells? Does that mean... are you not?" Gladio asked, his thoughts scattered.

Ignis' answer was to stride over to the Shield and yank his shirt until Gladio and he were on eye-level with each other, a fiery possession in the Adviser's eyes.

"Gladiolus, while I may not have tramped about with all the men in Lucis, I could bring you to your knees without ever touching you." he promised, letting the man go and disappearing into the camper.

Gladiolus shivered at the confidence in Ignis' voice and at what the man had said, what had he meant by that? Gladio certainly had dated before, it was expected of a man in his position: heir to the Amicitia line, the almost requirement to continue and pass on the last name. It always stopped just shy of the bedroom however, and Gladiolus just couldn't seem to ever bring himself to cross that threshold. His cock pressed impatiently at his jeans in a way that was almost painful and he knew that he needed release, but he was too embarrassed to go into the camper--where Ignis was probably stretched out on the couch--and jerk one off in the privacy of the bathroom. There was that tree, even though it was outside and in the public eye it was the dead of night and the fuel stop was mercifully vacant...

Gladio strode over to the shadow of the large tree and began to unbutton his pants, carefully letting down the zipper until his erection sprang free of its entrapment. A low groan escaped his lips before he could stop it and he looked around, unable to help the feeling of self-consciousness that he were about to do something so dirty out in the open... Maybe he could understand what Ignis might be talking about...

Gladiolus took his throbbing member into his hand and couldn't help but imagine Ignis being the one handling him, stroking him as he felt pleasure explode with every movement. Faster and faster, but Gladio couldn't stop the barrage of images that flitted through his mind: Ignis sucking his dick, fondling his balls as he did so; Ignis on his back, so tantalizingly delicious as he begged Gladiolus to enter him; Ignis kissing him everywhere imaginable until Gladio begged him to simply fuck the living shit out of him while he cried out to the Astrals... He came violently, spurting all over the ground in front of him and his breath came ragged, shaking all over from the mind-blowing feeling of any one of those images seemed to invoke. Shuddering, he slipped his now-limp member back into his pants, buttoning and zipping them, and just trying to gather his wits back about himself. He had never acted like this with anyone, never lost his control or desired someone so profusely that he was willing to pleasure himself so in public, even if no one could see as far as he could tell.

Gladiolus made his way back to the camper after making sure that all evidence of his fiddling with himself had been erased. Taking a steadying breath he stepped into the camper with a slightly flushed face and avoided eye contact with Ignis who chuckled softly. _Oh gods, did he watch me?_ Gladio thought suddenly looking at the Adviser who's smile seemed to hold a secret. Suddenly Gladiolus' face turned an even brighter red when he looked up and realized that, with the shades down, where Ignis sat provided a perfect vantage to watch Gladiolus' lewd display. Slightly horrified that he had been too lost in a haze of pleasure and a ridiculous urgency for release, he could only imagine what the Adviser's thoughts could have been at seeing himself rubbing one off beneath a tree with truly little cover than a shadow under the bright moon and his own impatience. Ignis was sitting with one leg straightened and the other bent upward with a blanket over top him and the folder propped up.

"Finally decided to come?" Ignis asked, head tilting slightly and starting at Gladiolus.

"What?" Gladio squawked loudly, clearing his throat and lowering his voice even though he knew that Prompto and Noctis could both sleep through anything. "What do you mean?"

"From outside? I was wondering how long it would be until you decided to retire for the night." Ignis clarified, but the Shield had a sneaking suspicion that there was a double meaning to the original phrase.

"Yeah, I guess this place is secure enough. I'm gonna head off to sleep." Gladio announce, heading toward the very front section.

Was it just him, or could he hear quiet chuckles of laughter that sounded like Ignis?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was actually pretty nervous about posting this chapter because of Gladio fiddling with himself, I haven't written anything close to that in a long time and I'm actually worried that it didn't come out quite as well as I would have hoped. Let me know in the comments if it was awkward or weird so i know what to correct in later chapters for anything like that. It would be super appreciated seeing as I was too nervous to really even edit this chapter myself! TT^TT  
> Awkward NightingGale is awkward. *flies away*


	14. Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO CHAPTERS TODAY!  
> I found out what my baby is today, so in celebration I decided to post two chapters. Yay for you guys! ;P

Ignis couldn't help but think that Gladiolus was cute when flustered or embarrassed--not that he could blame the man, even though it was his own fault for exposing his considerable length on such wanton display as he did--but Gladiolus coming in with his face still slightly flushed and unable to meet his eyes from sheer self-consciousness? Certainly cuter than should be allowed. When he had awoken the next morning to start a pot of Ebony, a must-have for his morning, he checked on the other three, finding that Noctis was snoring and Prompto had a goofy grin and was sighing about Chocobos while Gladiolus had crammed himself into a chair and was hanging half off it and his personal _broadsword_ peeking out slightly from underneath the pajama pants that he must have slipped into once Ignis had fallen asleep, quite the feet with how light a sleeper he was. Ignis hummed his approval quietly, realizing that it meant the other man was going commando underneath his clothes, it fit Gladiolus in a sense.

While the pot brewed Ignis walked toward the Crow's Nest diner to speak quietly to the man behind the counter, asking about the surrounding areas and about any particular areas of interest.

"Well there's Wiz's Chocobo post fer one. Been keeping his Chocobos all cooped up since ol' Deadeye became a problem." the older mustached man told Ignis.

"Deadeye?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah, a behemoth. I don' know a ton on the creature, might be wantin' tuh talk tuh Wiz himself since it's his hunt'n all. Let's see... there's the Disc on yonder, and the surroundin' bodies o' water, great fer fishin'. Hmm... Ah, and then there's always plenty o' hunts tuh accept iffin' yer wantin' tuh." the older man finished.

"Thank you." Ignis said, nodding his head.

"Yer not gonna order nothin'?" the mustache man asked.

Ignis turned out his pockets. "Not a gil in my pocket, I might come back to do a hunt in the near future, though."

The older man groaned and went back to washing dishes and cooking meals for the few people that were in the diner at the early hour. Ignis walked out and went back to the camper to find Prompto up and about with an energy that seemed eager to foul Ignis' already tiring morning since he didn't have a single drop of Ebony in his system yet.

"Morning, Iggy!" Prompto said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Prompto. Are you hungry? I got a few things for breakfast last night right around when you and Noctis went to bed."

"That would be great, want me to help?" Prompto offered, already halfway out the door to get cookware with the Regalia's keys in tow. "What do you need, Igster?"

"You to never call me that again..." Ignis muttered to himself, it was bad enough when everyone in the party called him 'Iggy', he _really_ didn't want 'Igster' to stick as well. Louder he went on. "Just get a frying pan, if you could please."

Prompto opened the trunk and that was all Ignis cared to see once he could hear the precious drops of Ebony calling to him from the coffee pot. He poured the contents into his mug that he had dragged out when he had gotten his Ebony ready for brewing. Pouring the dark liquid to the brim of his cup he downed the drink as though it were nothing but air, it scalded his mouth and throat in a way that left him almost giddy when he knew that most of the contents would be his, the warmth was one of the few ways that could actually get him up in any decent amount of time and he had built up a tolerance to the heat that came with drinking it fresh. Prompto came bounding back into the room with frying pan in hand and a cup of his own.

"Coffee!" he squealed in delight, setting the frying pan down on the stove and pouring some Ebony into his own cup.

Ignis groaned and poured another cup and drank it down before getting out the Arba bacon he had purchased the night before. Soon the smell of bacon awoke the sleeping royalty in the next room.

"Meat..." Noctis moaned, shirtless and with his pajama bottoms hanging off his hips.

Prompto suddenly turned away from the door that Noctis stood in and fled to outside, yelping as he spilled hot coffee on himself in his rush. Noctis yawned loudly and scratched at his face.

"What's up with him?" he asked blearily.

"Probably the coffee." Ignis muttered as some grease nearly splattered onto him. "The bacon will be done momentarily and then we can head off to Lestallum."

Ignis took another long swig of coffee that nearly drained the cup. Gladiolus suddenly appeared, hair unkempt atop his head and poured himself a cup and refilled Ignis' mug.

"You drink that stuff stupid fast." Noctis yawned as he headed out the door in just pajama bottoms. "Yo, Prom!"

Gladio breathed in the scent of the bacon deeply from over Ignis' shoulder, causing the bespectacled man to move slightly away. Whether Gladiolus knew it or not, one of the Adviser's pet peeves was people peering over his shoulder as though it were a perch.

"How's that arm?" Gladio asked, gently tapping Ignis' shoulder on the side that had been hurt.

So... Gladiolus was either trying to act as though nothing happened due to sheer shyness, or he was just genuinely concerned and it overrode that embarrassment. Either way a smile snuck its way onto the Adviser's face and he pulled his sleep shirt off his torso to reveal smooth skin.

"Completely healed, thanks to that Elixir." Ignis told the Shield, moving to get to his suitcase and opening it up.

Ignis decided on a casual Crownsguard grey top with a pair of grey slacks, pausing for a brief second to choose his undergarments and receiving a satisfactory shuddering breath from Gladiolus before completely clothing himself again. When Ignis was once again decent he plated the Arba bacon and called out to the two outside.

"Bacon is done!"

Gladiolus grabbed a bottom piece and took a bite, moaning at the taste of freshly-cooked bacon. Ignis made do with the entire pot of coffee before everyone went their ways to change clothes. Today was the day they head for Lestallum. Once the food was eaten, coffee drunk, and dishes washed they trew everythign back into the trunk and headed off to the city. As Ignis drove Prompto took candid snapshots of the scenery before turning to look at Noctis in the back seat.

"So this is the infamous Disc." Prompto noted. "Hey, Noct, don't you want to get a shot  of you and the Meteor?"

"Ah," Noctis began, the question coming from nowhere, "not right now."

"Ah, come on! If not now, when?" Prompto whined, turning back around and watching the Disc go by.

They passed empty billboards, vast plains, rocky expanses, and forested areas, the whole way beautiful. They remained relatively quiet, bar Noctis and Prompto talking about a mission from their King's Knight game that Gladio occasionally took part of. Eventually Ignis had to ask for a cold can of Ebony which was obligingly passed upward to the driver as he cracked open the can with one hand and drank. As they reached a tunnel Prompto was given to one of his dramatic moments.

"It's like we're being warped to another dimension!" he said ominously.

"Wonder where we'll end up." Noctis said, feeding into it.

The tunnel stretched on and on until...

"Wow!" Prompto exclaimed.

"Nice." Gladiolus agreed.

"This place is pretty big." Noctis admitted.

Gladiolus chuckled to his charge's response. "Haven't enjoyed the city life in a while."

"They even got a cable car!" Prompto shouted in excitement as Ignis pulled into a designated parking area.

"I'd like to see where it leads." Ignis admitted as he reversed perfectly between the lines.

Noctis sighed, opening the door to the Regalia. "It's getting hot out here."

Whatever Gladiolus was saying was drowned out by Prompto's voice.

"Any chance of sleeping in a nice room tonight?" the gunslinger questioned.

"Yes," Ignis said, thinking about possible hunts in the area, "I'm sure we can secure... suitable accommodations nearby."

They ran up the steps that led to the main street above, immediately Gladiolus spotted ta van nearby.

"They got Cup Noodles outside the city?" the Shield said eagerly. "Alright!"

"Might be worth investing in a few servings in the event that our pantry runs bare." Ignis said with an inward grin as Gladio's face brightened at the words.

"One hell of a crowd." Prompto admitted when they stepped into the city proper, looking around.

"Well this must be the man thoroughfare." Ignis told the younger blond who was gaping open-mouthed at everything.

"She's at the Leville." Gladio told the other three, shaking his phone at them. "Let's go."

Ignis couldn't blame the man for pushing them to see his sister, out of the whole group Gladiolus was the only one who wasn't the last of his line.

Asking a nearby vendor for the location of the Leville, they headed left down the first pedestrian street and proceeded straight until they could no longer move forward. The hotel stood grandly on the left of the sweltering city street and Iris could be clearly seen pacing in front of it.

Suddenly the ground trembled.

"Woah, did you feel that?" Prompto yelled in a startled voice.

"You mean the earthquake?" Gladio questioned.

Ignis looked over to the young technical-king and saw him grasping desperately at his own head acting as though it were about to split open.

"What's wrong?" Ignis asked, concerned.

"My head just started throbbing." Noctis bit out through obvious pain, confusion mingling in with it.

"You alright?" Prompto asked quickly.

"Yeah," Noctis slowly nodded, "I'm fine."

Ignis was doubtful that it was that simple, Noctis rarely experienced headaches in all the years that his Adviser had known him, and suddenly one makes him react that way out of the blue? No way. Ignis was going to have a talk with Noctis later to be sure, but for now they were going to Iris, who was supposed to already be waiting on them inside. While the four talked--with Gladiolus constantly checking his phone after sending Iris a text saying that they were there--Iris made her way down the staircase.

"Gladdy!" she proclaimed, waving from the stairs and leaning on the rail.

Gladiolus turned and shown a beaming smile. "Iris."

As much as Gladio tried to act the tough guy, Ignis could see the Shield's eyes shimmering against the light with happiness to actually see his sister. _Knowing_ that a loved one was ok and actually _seeing_ they were was a huge difference.

"Look at you guys, holding your own out there." Iris commented, telling them about the rumors flying around about them.

"What can I say?" Prompto laughed before changing the subject. "You look good."

"All things considered." Iris said. "You guys are staying here, right?"

"That's the plan." Ignis confirmed, thinking about their tragic lack of funds to be able to afford a night there in their current situation, they _really_ needed to look at hunts after they were done there, even if it was just Ignis going alone, although he knew that the chivalrous Shield would refuse to let him go alone.

"When you have time, we have catching up to do." Gladiolus told his sister, content just seeing her safe at the current moment.

"Sure." Iris agreed, looking at her brother with sisterly affection.

"Prompto, a word if you will." Ignis said, motioning to Gladiolus to follow.

"Hey pipsqueak," Gladio started, ruffling his sister's hair, "keep an eye on this guy for me, would ya?"

Iris giggled and nodded, grabbing Noctis by the arm and dragging him upstairs. When Gladiolus turned back around to face the Adviser and gunslinger his face was all business.

"What's going on?" the Shield asked.

"Yeah," agreed Prompto, "what's up Iggy?"

"Well we have a tragic lack of funds as it were. I intended to take up a hunt while we were here otherwise we will be sleeping under the stars." Ignis admitted to Prompto, Gladio was already privy to the knowledge.

"You can't go alone!" Prompto declared, his eyes going wide.

"I'm with the kid on this one, you need back up." Gladiolus agreed.

Ignis sighed, knowing that this would be the line of conversation once it was brought up.

"Then who will be the one to accompany me?" Ignis asked. "At least one of us need to be near Noct at all times to ensure his safety."

"I'll--" Prompto began before being cut off by the Shield.

"I'll go with you." Gladio declared.

"You're the Shield." Ignis pointed out.

"Well you're his Adviser." the Shield countered.

"You were just reunited with your sister." Ignis argued back.

" _Guys!_ " Prompto shouted, silencing the two, he lowered his voice when he realized that Noctis and Iris were both looking over at them. "I know that I'm the least experienced here, and you guys don't discuss a lot with me because you kinda see me like Noct at times, but I want to prove that I'm not useless."

Gladio and Ignis both grew red with embarrassment at the admission. They _did_ somewhat unconsciously shelter him, and it wasn't that they doubted his skill but--as Prompto so easily pointed out--it was just that he had a lack of experience.

"Why don't you both go and I'll keep watch on Iris and Noct. Just switch out with me next time." Prompto offered as a solution.

Gladiolus and Ignis nodded in unison.

"Keep a good eye on them, kid." Gladio said, ruffling Prompto's hair like he had just done to his sister.

Prompto managed to dodge it and dashed up the stairs. "Don't take too long, you two!"

Prompto waved good-bye and disappeared behind a door after knocking, leaving Ignis and Gladiolus looking at each other, trying to consider what to do next. When the two asked the man at the desk where hunts were posted they were pointed to the Partellum Market as well as Surgate's Beanmine. They decided to head for the marketplace and soon accepted a hunt to take down a group of Arba and Arbagadol as well as another quest in the same region for a Griffon.

"Think we should accept more?" Gladio asked as the two headed for the Regalia.

"I think that should do us for now." Ignis said, shaking his head as he slid the key in and turned the ignition. "We should take note of where the Hunt Center is in town, however."

"Funny that it doubles as a bar." Gladio chuckled, remembering that he actually thought it was a bar from the outside when they had passed it to get to the Leville.

"Name is certainly catchy." Ignis admitted at they headed to the Kellbass Grasslands. "The 'Adamantoise Paradise'... Makes sense that it would be something other than just a Hunt Center, they would bleed dry of all their gil."

Ignis handed Gladiolus the Hunt posters for safekeeping as he drove, if they hurried they could make it back before nightfall and possible book the rest of the night in a room. The Adviser stepped on the gas, the thought spurring the two onward. Before they knew it they had arrived and stepped out of the car, locking it behind them. Ignis had parked by what looked like a lumberyard and, after seeing the Arba motioned to Gladiolus.

"How do you think we should go about this?" he asked the Shield.

"Hrmmm..." Gladiolus responded, deep in thought. "Honestly keep away from those horns on the Arbagadol, not that I really need to tell you. Those things will probably break more than just your ribs if they catch you unawares."

Gladio phased his sword into his hand and Ignis followed suit, doing the same for his daggers.

"Other than that..?" the Shield continued. "I'd aim for the legs, they'll topple down and get all tangled up in each other that way."

Ignis nodded, the plan seemed pretty solid and he certainly had no counters against the plan. With that in mind the two carefully approached, managing to catch the heartier Arbagadol unawares to bring it down swiftly, leaving only three Arbas and one Arbagadol left. Now that they were aware of their presence the animals were stirred int a frenzy of bucking hooves and swinging necks. Trying to dodge as much as possible they landed a few blows, knocking one Arba to the ground to be quickly dispatched.

"Iggy, launch!" Gladiolus yelled, allowing his greatsword to dissipate into nothingness and laced his hands together low enough for Ignis to step.

No more words were needed as Ignis made his own weapons vanish as he ran full speed at Gladiolus, who launched the Adviser into the air. Ignis made one of his polearms appear and flipped into a position so he could allow his full weight to drive the point home in the base of the other Arbagadol's skull. It went down hard and Ignis let go of his spear to roll out of the fall as well as he could. Gladiolus was there in a moment to off the man a hand up as the other two Arbas left alive let out cries and charged. Ignis phased his daggers back into being and charged with Gladio around the beasts, allowing them to run into the dead bodies of their herd that hindered any progress for their charge.

"Iggy, how good is your aim?" Gladio asked, deep breaths causing his chest to rise and fall rapidly.

"Fair, what are you getting at?"

Gladio pointed to the remaining two Arba's knee joints. "Take those out, and they should tumble or at least limp pretty damn badly."

Ignis looked at the beasts who were now moving around their fallen companions and beginning to head their way again. Aiming for where their legs should be, Ignis threw the daggers, making several more appear as he threw. Four out of the six landed, and one Arba fell to the ground with the other tripping over its brethren. Gladiolus charged and killed them both. Gladiolus took out a small, cheap camera and took several snapshots to prove that they had taken down the targets before heading back to the car, Ignis only stopping to phase each of his weapons out one by one.

That left only the Griffon left, with a couple hours of sky left. How they were supposed to take it down was anyone's guess, but it was probably going to have a lot more to do with Ignis being launched into the air to use his polearms. It didn't take long to reach their other destination, the other hunt being only somewhat up the road, and they noticed the Griffon immediately hovering around a small shack and water tower.

"Well that was quick." Gladio mumbled.

"Best be on guard, though." Ignis reminded.

"I'm not really gonna be much good for anything that flies unless it decides to land." Gladiolus pointed out, rubbing at the back of his sweaty neck.

"I intend to do the heavy lifting in this hunt." Ignis informed, boldly winking at the other man. "Figured from time to time you might launch me again and I would try to bat it out of the sky."

The Adviser made his polearm appear and waved it slightly as if to magnify the point. Gladio shook his head and laughed quietly.

"The plan sounds absurd."

"It's really all I can come up with unless you want to start scaling the water tower."

They waited until the Griffon was on the ground before getting near it, Gladiolus readying his sword while Ignis held his polearm and they struck as one, Ignis aiming for the head and Gladio a wing. You could hear the _**crunch**_ as the Griffon screeched in pain at its wing being crushed under the weight of the sword and slashed in the face by the sharp end of a what the animal could only assume was a very pointy stick. It wasn't long before the beast was brought down as well and a picture was taken. They headed back into Lestallum, walking straight into the Adamantoise Paradise.

The bar reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke as they walked up to the bartender, a woman who looked to be in her late thirties and wore a low-cut shirt that accentuated her... bosoms...

"What can I getcha, gentlemen?" she asked, grabbing two glasses to set in front of them.

Gladiolus reached into his pocket to pull out the fliers.

"Ah, not here for relaxin' then." the woman said, putting the glasses immediately back and sticking her head behind a door. "SARA!"

Sara happened to be an old woman who took one look at the two before speaking in a quick voice.

"Well?" after Gladiolus handed her the fliers she slapped the papers on the counter. "Gonna need more than that, son, where's the proof? I'm no fool, plenty say they did the deed, but it don't mean nothin' without proof."

Ignis was taken aback by the old woman, she had fire in her that was impressive for someone of her age. Gladio quickly procured his cheap camera and she examined the pictures.

"Hmmm... I guess these look good enough." the woman said, walking away with the fliers and leaving the camera with them.

Ignis and Gladio simply looked at each other, dumbfounded. Sarah was definitely a spitfire.

"She's always been like that, if you're wondering." the bartender informed them, chuckling at their incredulous faces. "She's just gotten worse with age, too. Used to be a big, hotshot bounty hunter back in her prime from what I hear."

Sara came back with a sack of gil.

"4,935 gil for the bird, and 5,070 gil for the annoying herd. Now unless you have something else to claim get out or drink!" the old woman yelled, turning her back and shuffling back to where she came from.

"Come back soon!" the bartender yelled in farewell as the door closed behind the two of them.

"Well Sara was very..." Ignis trailed off, unsure of how to go on.

"Cranky." Gladiolus finished, and they bother chuckled. "Might as well get the room and some supplies, this is a pretty hefty amount."

"Should last us a while." Ignis agreed as they walked back toward the Leville together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why but I really wanted to give the random Crow's Nest guy a serious country accent... like inspired by some of the stuff I hear on a near-daily basis... *shrug*  
> I also apologize if the fighting in this was a little stale, I actually had a difficult time writing it, I might try to come back sometime to clean it up some.


	15. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this chapter is terrible, I tried but really got stuck. Filler chapter is filler.

Gladiolus sat down on the bed as Jared and his grandson Talcott spoke to Noctis and Iris. He was happy to see Iris having so much fun and laughing so freely despite recent events. Not too long after Jared and his grandson excused themselves from the room Noctis and the others sat down, his charge immediately jumping to the heated topic without any sort of subtlety.

"So Iris, what was it like in the Crown City?" Noctis asked, looking at Iris seriously.

"Not pretty. The Citadel took a beating." Iris admitted, sadness in her voice as she looked at her feet. In a cheerier voice that felt put on to Gladio--mostly because of the pain he could plainly see in her eyes--she added "But a lot of outlying neighborhoods made it through in one piece."

Ignis looked into the distance bitterly. "The Empire had tactical targets in mind."

"You know if there's anything else, you can ask me." Iris said, turning to Noctis and motioning to herself.

"Yeah," Noct said, probably unsure of what to really respond with--Iris was good at catching someone off-guard, that was for sure, "uh, thanks." Silence remained for several awkward minutes as Iris stared twin holes into Noctis, causing him to squirm and sit forward. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna ask about Lady Lunafreya?" Iris asked, her gaze turning into a squint of suspicion.

"The radio said that she was dead..." Noctis replied, pained.

"Well they also said you were dead too, and that turned out to be a lie."

Noctis gaped at Iris, blinking several times before responding.

"That's... true... Have you heard anything about her?"

"Yeah, actually. I kept hearing that she had been in town." Iris replied, looking down at her clasped hands in her lap. "Apparently she left right away, but at least it means she's okay."

Tension ebbed from Noctis, relief radiating in waves from his entirety.

"That's good to hear." he said gratefully. "Thanks."

"Yeah... Well," Iris said, getting up quickly by way of hopping from her chair, "get a good night's rest."

And with that Gladio's younger sister left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Ignis sighed in frustration and stood up.

"I am going to bathe, after which I would like to speak with Noctis." the Adviser ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his eyes. "If the two of you wish to be an audience to it or not is up to you, as it is not personal but financial and deals with our inventory of curatives."

"I think I'm gonna stroll around Lestallum, wanna come big guy?" Prompto asked, elbowing the Shield playfully. "Y'know, since _you're_ not the one the Igster's gotta talk to."

Ignis visibly shuddered at the name "Igster" and Gladio couldn't help but grin, Ignis wasn't fond of nicknames in the first place but "Iggy" had been borne of Noctis when he was young and just couldn't for the life of him say "Ignis", "Specs" was later added as an affectionate name that Noctis had also given the man in his teens. Prompto was grinning eagerly at Gladio with camera in hand and a wiggle to his brow, waiting for an answer.

"Sure, why not?" Gladiolus responded, rolling his eyes and smiling with the blond gunslinger.

 

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"You better realize that before too long I'm heading back with or without ya, kid!" Gladiolus called after Prompto who had bounded away in the direction of the overlook.

"Yeah, yeah!" the gunslinger said, readying his camera by clicking away at dials and knobs before taking a few photos of buildings and scenery.

The sun was almost completely set and the dusky sky shone vaguely overhead on top of the lights of the city. The Disc of Cauthess shone bright against it all and Prompto took at least a dozen shots of the thing alone! Shooting it, checking the snapshot, making some sort of disgruntled and scrunched face, sounding off with an odd noise, clicking something, then repeating the same process. How could the kid stand it? Suddenly the young blond looked over and pointed to a spot below and to their left and almost lining it up with the Disc.

"Maybe I could get a better shot from there?" Prompto wondered aloud.

He hurried of in the direction and Gladio couldn't help but follow, while Prompto wasn't always the most fun, he enjoyed the gunslinger's energy and spunk. He couldn't ever remember the kid being terribly upset or saddened by anything besides when he had come out to Gladiolus a year before...

 

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_Two years earlier_

 

Gladiolus was helping Prompto with his gun's training. It was imperative that if he were to join as one of Prince Noctis' personal Crownsguard he would have to up his game with accuracy; kid should really take up some martial arts--or at least daggers like Ignis--even if he's terrible at close-range, might save his life one day...

"Hey, Gladio..." Prompto started as he fired several rapid-fire shots at the paper target, "what do you think of Noctis?"

"You mean as the Prince, or as a friend?" Gladiolus asked, helping to adjust a few things in the younger's stance. "He's definitely a brat who tries to skip out on training and doesn't know how to wake up before noon..." that won a chuckle out of the blond just before he let out another couple of shots. "But he's got a good heart, just needs discipline and more training. Don't lock up like that."

Prompto nodded and adjusted his stance and took a deep breath, shooting off a few more rounds before starting again. "No, I mean..."

The teen quickly bit off his sentence and began firing away at the target again once he reloaded, missing about half the shots while he turned red in the face. Gladio looked at the blond as he fired the last of the clip into the paper target, flipping the switch which caused the paper to fly forward toward them.

 _Never thought I'd have to have this talk with someone..._ the Shield thought to himself as he scratched the back of his neck. He remembered sitting Iris down to talk when she was younger and she happened across his porno stash in his room, it ended up being a dual talk about _"what is that?"_ and _"don't barge in without asking"_  but that was about as far as that discussion had gone. With as much as was on the blond's mind he was shooting rather well today, only two-thirds of his shots missed out of all that he had let off. Gladiolus held his hand out for the gun and Prompto handed it over quietly, his gaze stuck to the floor.

"Y'know, your hair kinda looks like a chocobo's ass." Gladio mused, setting the gun in the select lock box for all the fire arms. Ammo was always kept separately.

"It does not!" Prompto fussed, face pulled into a pout.

"C'mon, kid." the Shield slung an arm around Prompto's shoulders and took out his disposable ear plugs, throwing them into the trash as he steered the gunslinger-trainee out the door. "I'll treat you to lunch and coffee."

"Really?" Prompto asked excitedly, taking out his ear plugs as well.

"Yeah, Iggy took me to a real nice coffee shop last time we had to talk about Noct's training." he stopped to think for a moment and took out his phone. "Mind if I invite him too?"

"Uhhhh..." Prompto started, looking slightly uncomfortable, "I dunno... I guess? I mean, I don't wanna crash a date or something..."

"What?" It took Gladio a minute to realize what Prompto had implied. "Oh, no man we're not a thing. Iggy's got something going with a barista there. Pretty sure his hair is more blond than yours is."

Gladio ruffled the not-at-all-a-chocobo-butt hair-do and Prompto smiled, relaxing under the Shield's arm again. _Well that was kinda awkward for a moment._ Gladiolus chuckled inwardly to himself, _Iggy would know how to help with this talk._ Gladio pulled up Ignis' text messages on his phone and found one message already waiting before he could even type anything out.

_**Iggy:** Noctis is sick today and will be unable to attend his training later on._

Gladiolus sighed, if Ignis was actually saying it then he could believe Noct wasn't purposeful skimping on his training like he kept trying--and failing--to do.

_**Gladio:** We'll have to shift around his phase-training to make up for it, then. Think you can find some time to meet me by Casus? Kinda got an important thing that I need your help with._

_**Iggy:** I shall arrive shortly._

Prompto shuffled his feet nervously and Gladio couldn't help but feel bad for the kid, he honestly knew how he felt--what between the fact that he had a huge crush on Ignis, who had confessed nearly a year prior, and he wasn't really out of the closet yet--the only real difference was that _Prompto_ had a crush on the _Prince_ and not his Adviser.

"C'mon kid." Gladio said, steering the gunslinger trainee outside to where some new recruits were getting some of their own training in in the form of sparring... badly...

"Watch your form!" Cor barked at a set of nearby green trainees, nodding toward Prompto and Gladio. "Done with practice?"

The Shield nodded. "Yeah, he's doing better at accuracy, so I'm taking him out for some celebration. Don't worry, I'll still be getting back in time to show these Greens how to whoop your ass in practice."

Gladio grinned at the Immortal who showed a vague smile before it disappeared and he whipped back around and started barking at the new recruits again, checking for the time--Gladio was pretty sure he had found the culprits that had killed the last clock. Gladio couldn't help but call them Greens, that's what he remembered being called when he first arrived on the Citadel steps as a kid--since everyone knew that he was training since before he could walk--and he was called that until he was officially accepted as Crownsguard and Shield. Gladio and Prompto walked to the Citadel garage where Gladiolus' poor beat-up car was sitting crooked in her parking spot. He unlocked the driver's side door and hopped in, reaching over to pull the handle of the passenger door from the inside.

"Lock's busted." the Shield offered in response to Prompto's look of utter confusion.

The blond nodded and clicked his seat belt into place while Gladio reversed and put his car into gear and pulled into the Insomnia traffic.

"Have you told Noct?" Gladio asked, holding back a small chuckle at Prompto's horrified gaze. "Don't worry, Iggy and I don't gossip like old women. If it makes you feel better, you and Iggy are the only ones who know that I swing both ways."

Prompto's face went blank with shock, Gladio didn't become too concerned until the kid didn't seem to move for a good amount of time, suddenly--much to the Shield's relief--Prompto cleared his throat. "I had no idea..."

"Yeah neither do most people, including Noct and my dad. The guy goes on and on about how 'you need to continue the Amicitia line' and 'there must always be an Amicitia to be Shield for future kings', kinda makes it hard when you're the only son." Gladiolus sighed, flipping on his turn signal.

"Well... why don't you just _tell_ him? He's your dad, wouldn't he understand?" Prompto ask out of genuine and innocent curiosity.

Gladiolus barked out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "I'm expected to marry and produce heirs, not bastards. Can't just waltz up to my old man and be all 'Training went great today, dad. Oh, by the way, I prefer dudes over women.' Ramuh's balls, that would go tits-up fast."

The Shield shivered at the thought as they pulled into the cafe's parking lot, walking in he noticed that Ignis was talking up his barista boyfriend who sounded like he was trying to get a very public kiss in exchange for an extra shot of espresso. By Ignis' grin he was actually considering it, causing a very ugly jealousy to wash over Gladiolus. Ignis suddenly pulled his boyfriend forward by his collar to kiss him shamelessly on the lips, biting the barista's bottom lip as the Adviser pulled away.

Prompto looked at Gladio and hesitantly put a hand on the Shield's toned arm, startling the man.

"Hey big guy, you ok?" Prompto asked nervously.

Fuck, he probably looked ready to kill someone. Gladiolus took a deep, steadying breath before nodding at the young blond. _Doesn't look like I'm being too convincing..._ the Shield thought as Prompto continued to stare for a moment longer before turning to the register, _Noct comes first... Well right now its technically the kid._

Prompto ordered something that sounded like coffee-coated gibberish and Gladio asked for a simple black coffee with room for cream and sugar.

"That'll be seven gold Crowns, sir." Ignis' boyfriend--Fraus was what was on the name tag--said.

 _Sounds like the name of a pretentious asshole._ Gladio couldn't help but think as he passed the man the money, waving off Prompto's coins.

"Keep it, this one's on me." Gladiolus told him.

Prompto smiled, tears in his eyes and pocketed his money, walking to stand over by Ignis. Fraus looked Gladio up and down and raised an eyebrow as he passed the paper receipt to the Shield, moving to complete the order. The Shield walked over to the rest duo and leaned against the counter as Fraus put up a coffee marked _Amare_ and Ignis grabbed it immediately and took a whiff of the brew, smiling at the aroma and taking a large sip.

"So what is the business that is so important?" Ignis asked after he took another swig of coffee, his face suddenly all business.

"Kid here's got a crush." Gladio told the Adviser quietly which caused Prompto immediately turned red, leaning toward him for a feeling of secrecy.

"And you couldn't handle it because..?" Ignis wondered, confused and slightly frustrated.

"Because... ummm..." Gladio blushed slightly, flustered, and elbowed the kid.

Prompto fidgeted nervously with a corner of his shirt as he mumbled. "I wanna confess to Noct..."

Ignis looked at the younger blond for a moment and sighed, looking pointedly at Gladio. "I'll get a booth and sit down, meet me there when you get your coffees."

Prompto nodded, having gone suddenly from red as a tomato to pale as a sheet.

"Don't worry, kid. If he's gonna be upset at anyone, it'll be me." Gladiolus said, patting Prompto's back.

"Why would he be mad at you?" Prompto asked in confusion.

"Because he confessed a year ago and I turned him down because of our jobs potentially conflicting with our lives..." Gladio said, "and if I'm being completely frank with you... I was also scared... You tell anyone that and I'll make sure the entirety of the Crownsguard call you Chocobo-butt instead of Greenie." he grabbed his coffee and heading toward the booth to where Ignis was actually _glaring_ _daggers_ at him.

"So," Ignis started as Gladio sat down, "I understand that you wanted me here because I have experience with this..." The Adviser pointedly stopped to quickly look at where Prompto was still waiting for his coffee before looking back to the Shield, "Unlike with the two of us, even if we can keep our professional relationship from breaking as easily, their dynamic will forever change."

Gladio let out a frustrated breath and set his coffee down to rake a hand through his short hair. "Yeah, I was actually thinking the same thing, I don't think it will be the same for them. It kinda isn't with us, but we handle it better because we _have_ to--what with me being Noct's personal Shield and you being his most reliable Adviser--Prompto may be his best friend, but friendships don't always last..."

Ignis sat back and examined Gladiolus with surprise. "Eloquently put, Gladio."

"So how are we gonna break our opinion to the kid? Not like our opinions mean chocobo shit if he decides to do it." the Shield asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"We'll have to figure it out on the fly, as you say, because he's about to approach the table." Ignis said, straightening with a nod to Prompto.

 

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_Present_

 

 

Gladio shook himself out of the memory. _Prompto had been thinking about the same thing, kid is sharp as a tack when he wants to be._ Gladio thought to himself, _Didn't wanna fuck up a perfectly good friendship to make it weird._

Looking around Gladiolus realized that he had lost sight of the young gunslinger whilst he had been strolling down memory lane. Walking down the stairs to where the kid had wanted to take the "better pictures" he found that Prompto had been chattering about, he found that he was talking to an overweight man who was fanning himself with his hand. On closer inspection Gladiolus noticed that his shirt had a logo on it that read "METEOR" on a white shirt, the "O" being a picture of the meteor that sat in the Disc itself as it was falling. He was looking through the pictures in Prompto's camera and commenting on them.

"They're really not bad there, kid. Got some real talent! What would you think of doing a few shots for my magazine? Freelance, of course." the large man said, handing the camera back.

Prompto's eyes lit up, "You really think I'm good enough? That would be awesome!" Prompto couldn't stop himself from jumping for joy, causing Gladio to chuckle. Suddenly the young gunslinger looked seriously at Gladiolus. "Do you think that we'd have time though?"

The Shield shrugged. "I don't see why not, so long as they're not time-sensitive and you realize they're not going to be a priority."

The overweight man waved his hand back and forth, "Nah, I get that other jobs take priority. I try to get pictures before writing anyway. I pay good, though. Right now I just need a couple of photos of the Disc of Cauthess. One from the south, one from the north."

Prompto looked at Gladiolus with puppy dog eyes, how could he say no to that face?  _Astrals help me._ Gladio thought to himself as he pinched the bridged of his nose.

"Fine, mind if I ask you something though?" Gladiolus questioned.

"Sure, and my name's Vyv, by the way. I own the METEOR magazine." Vyv said with a smile, sweat rolling down his neck as he grabbed a pamphlet for better fanning against the heat.

"Do you know anything about the Arminger weapons?" Gladio asked, going out on a limb.

"You mean the fancy weapons that only the Royal Caelum family used? Yeah, or at least I know about as much as average: thirteen of them, most are lost to time. You needing to know something?" Vyv asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your pictures might take more priority if you could help us out." Gladio told Vyv honestly.

"Well, if that's not telling." Vyv chuckled. "Honestly you in particular, Mr. Shield, are very noticeable. I won't tell that you're in town, but I'll give you my number if you give me yours. I'll call if I can get any intel for you so long as you can tell me what ones you already know about."

Prompto and Gladiolus nodded in agreement, it was definitely mutually beneficial. They gave the man their number and Vyv did the same.

"I'll get you the information so long as you can deliver me some of those beautiful pictures." Vyv said, putting his phone on the table behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I think this chapter is meh, I gotta admit that I feel like I got a few good parts in there that I genuinely enjoyed writing in the flashback, at least. Lol. Don't be afraid to leave a comment, I love knowing what people think of it. Also hit me up on the tumblr, LadyNightingGaleofMilvania is the name (I don't really branch out, lol) Until next time, NightingGale away! *runs into the sunset*


	16. Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go guys, Chapter 15 (technically 16, lol. I don't count the Table of Contents)! Gotta give my thanks to the lovely Xylianna for helping me beta this poor mess of a fic!

Ignis stepped out of the shower to see Noctis laying on the one of the two beds, looking  blankly at the ceiling. Walking over to where they had brought their suitcases, he looked through them until he found his and set it on the opposing bed. Opening it, Ignis took out a set of clothes for the next day and pulled out a set for that night as well as the Covenant folder. After zipping the suitcase shut, the Adviser placed it on the floor and dried off quickly, changing into his night clothes and holding out the documents for Noctis to take.

"You should look at these while we talk," Ignis told him when the young royal didn't move a muscle. "I know that there are other things on your mind, and I intend to discuss them with you, but we must look into this first."

Noctis turned his head to simply look at the man, standing there in a set of pajama bottoms and a simple Crownsguard tank top. He sat up and took the folder, looking at it lamely before his brows knit together.

"What is this?" Noct asked his Adviser, looking up at him.

"They're the Royal Arminger locations that are known, and the descriptions of them all. If you are determined to take back the city from the Empire, then we shall have to locate the Royal Tombs that have been lost to time. For now we have these in our possession," Ignis informed him, pointing at some of the papers Noctis had begun to take out and view.

"Most of the locations are missing..." Noctis noted as he quickly shifted through the sparse information.

"That would be most of the problem. Cor is already searching for more, but we need to find our own intel as well, Highness," Ignis told him, nodding.

The use of "Highness" caused Noctis to pause; his Adviser only did that when situations were very serious and required things to actually be examined. Noctis flipped from page to page, sometimes flipping back to look at a previous entry, before setting the document aside and resting his head in his hands.

"Specs, this is a lot to take in," Noctis finally admitted.

"I understand, but it was something your father wanted us to look into before he sent us off," Ignis said, placing a comforting hand on Noctis' knee.

Noctis looked up, his eyes glazed over with tears. "He knew."

Ignis simply nodded. "I believe that to very much be the case."

A shaky breath, clenching and unclenching of fists. Noctis nodded.

"We should start tomorrow, probably could get a lot from Dino since he's a reporter." Noctis conceded.

Ignis couldn't help the disgust he felt for Dino, but he knew that the man would be essential since the channels of a reporter were vast.

"I thought we could also ask the Hunters for help as well," Ignis suggested, to which Noctis nodded.

"Good idea, Specs."

Ignis stood up and moved to take the papers while the royal shut the folder so they could be put up safely. After they were tucked away Ignis turned back around, his business face gone to be replaced by one of concern.

"So... how are you holding up in the face of all this?" he asked.

Noctis shook his head. "It was hard to process, but I kinda just have to deal with it, huh? You, Gladio, and Prompto have all been able to put it aside, so I guess I should do the same seeing as I'm going to reclaim our home. Isn't that what a leader does?"

Ignis felt his chest swell with pride at that, Noctis truly was trying his best with what he had to be a leader his father would have been proud of. He nodded and Noctis got up, heading to the bathroom. Prompto and Gladio came bounding into the room several minutes later talking about a large man named Vyv who was going to get them information on the Royal Arms in exchange for some pictures of the Disc and while Ignis wished he had been part of the arrangement he couldn't fault them. If he was truly the owner of "METEOR" then he would have his own unique channels as well. Prompto chattered on about how Vyv liked his amateur photography and Gladio had a grin on his face about the whole venture.

"I guess we should get those pictures promptly as it were," Ignis conceded, hearing whoops emanate from Prompto as he said the words.

Ignis looked out the window at the Meteor itself that looked as though it were aflame. Lestallum was hot enough that he had considered walking around shirtless but Gladiolus was already doing it, and they needed at least one of them to be presentable. Gladiolus excused himself to have some personal time with Iris and slipped out as Noctis left the bathroom with hair dripping and his towel at his waist. Prompto zipped in before the door could even close and turned the shower back on. The Adviser sighed and slipped on a more suitable pair of slacks so he could at least look professional. After he was done, Ignis went down to the lobby to ask about some spare paper so that he could begin a list of what needed to be done.

First things first: they needed to resupply, and that could be the first thing they did in the morning. Secondly they needed to maintain a good status with this Vyv man, so they needed to get those pictures taken. Thirdly they would have to return to Galdin Quay and--unfortunately--see if Dino was still there so that they may keep correspondence with him in exchange for information of his own. So few things that they needed to do and each felt momentous in their own rights. Could they even get all that done in the same day? They may have to stop to refuel the Regalia, but they just might…

Ignis began the walk back to the room, his thoughts stuck on the list of things they had to do the next day as he laid his head on the pillow.

 

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As the sun rose the next morning Ignis quite literally rolled out of bed, seeming to have tossed and turned until he was on the edge. Without getting up, he groaned and reached his hand up to search blindly on the side table for his glasses as Gladiolus stepped into the room from outside.

"Iggy?" he asked, coming around the bed with Prompto and Noctis to see Ignis pushing himself up into a sitting position while he placed his glasses onto his tired face.

Ignis simply grunted in response as Gladiolus looked down at the man who was barely awake. Shaking his head, the Shield walked into the bathroom laughing. Ignis glowered at where the man had been just a moment ago, standing up and skulking to a small coffee pot that held only a measly four cups. He took the pitifully small coffee pot out and knocked on the bathroom door as the shower turned on.

"What is it?" Gladiolus asked after cracking the door.

Ignis simply held out the pot and stared at Gladio who snorted and opened the door to allow Ignis to use the sink located inside it, clothed in nothing but his birthday suit. A drop of sweat fell down the Shield's bare back from either the jog he had obviously gone to do or simply from the Lestallum heat itself. He got to see a rare, uninterrupted view of the large bird tattooed across Gladiolus' back from the top of his buttocks to the swell of his shoulders and down his well-muscled arms. The Adviser couldn't help but admire his view and slowly looked up and down Gladio, committing every curve and muscle to memory. Looking up, he noticed a smile forming on the Shield's lips.

"Like what you see?" he asked, turning to face the man.

A deep blush formed suddenly on the Adviser's cheeks as he couldn't help but acknowledge the considerable length in front of him as Gladiolus turned to give him an even better view to gawk at like a fool. Ignis immediately turned to the sink, yanked the faucet on and filled the small coffee pot before he left the room. While the water ran the Adviser swore he could hear Gladio’s laugh from behind the now-shut door. With a shaky hand, Ignis poured the lukewarm water into the coffeemaker and opened a prepackaged amount of Ebony-- _Where is the coffee?_ he thought to himself--and poured the minuscule amount into the filter, pressing the power button so hard that he moved the machine backwards.

Noctis rolled over in his sleep and snored loudly, while Prompto--who was a stomach sleeper apparently--had an arm flung over top the royal who was currently snoring as loudly as an injured Iron Giant. Ignis thanked the Astrals that they were still asleep as he tried to groggily pull himself together. Unfortunately, pre-Ebony Ignis had a  harder time focusing than post-Ebony Ignis. The current pre-Ebony Ignis couldn't stop picturing Gladio's length in front of him with the shower playing a sort of melody in the background, shaking his head he tried to focus on the smell of coffee floating into the air...

And waking up Prompto...

"Coffee done yet?" The blond yawned loudly, stumbling over to his suitcase and sitting in front of it to search through it.

"No, unfortunately," Ignis couldn't help but growl as the coffee slowly dripped out to splash into the pot.

The water turned off in the bathroom and Ignis’ pulse immediately began to race. _Focus on the coffee, Scientia_! Ignis berated himself inwardly, willing the coffee to brew faster so that he could better focus on more productive tasks than Gladio and his naked body pinning him to the bed in his mind's eye.

Prompto eyed Ignis after pulling on a red shirt.

"You ok, Iggy?" the gunslinger asked, concerned.

In response, Ignis stood up straight from where he had slowly begun to hunch over the coffee pot with a death grip on the edge of the small counter. He could see from the corner of his eye that Prompto was watching him carefully, and his eyes widened as something seemed to click into place. What that something was Ignis couldn't have guessed at the current decaffeinated moment.

"I'll get Noct ready for the day if you wanna get out," Prompto offered, changing quickly into a pair of light pants and throwing on his white belt.

"I will be fine if this coffee would just _brew_!" Ignis bit out, his voice rising until the last word was practically shouted.

Gladiolus opened the bathroom door just at that moment with a towel wrapped around his waist--practically covering nothing with how large the man was--and he held both hands up as though Ignis were some sort of wild animal.

"Woah there, Ignis," Gladio said softly. "There's no need to yell before seven in the morning."

Ignis, lacking in coffee and any sort of thought process, just needed to get out like Prompto had mentioned. He opened the front door to their hotel room and quickly strode out, slamming the door behind himself. He just needed to get away and find air where it wasn't being breathed by three other men! He knew in some distant part of his mind that he was still in his pajamas and wasn't in proper street attire, but he didn't care. Iris and Talcott caught sight of him quickly walking out the front door of the Leville.

"Mr. Ignis!" called Talcott.

"Iggy!" Iris shouted at the same time.

The two caught Ignis off-guard and he stopped. _What am I doing?_ he asked himself as Talcott and Iris came over to him and started talking at the same time. _I need to breathe and calm down. Focus on Noctis, focus on duty. You're letting yourself get too carried away with your feelings, Scientia! Noctis must always come first._

"Ignis?" Iris asked with watery eyes.

"Huh?" the Adviser asked lamely.

"Is there something wrong? I've never even seen you without your hair done and you're in _pajamas_!" Iris said, motioning to his mussed attire.

Ignis quickly grew embarrassed at his sudden exit, and obvious distress.

"I... just need some coffee," he said as though it were some sort of reasonable explanation.

Iris was saddened by the pathetic excuse and nudged Talcott.

"Maybe you can tell them today about that thing Jared was telling you about last night when you went to bed," Iris offered up, piquing Ignis' curiosity immediately.

"What thing?" he asked the small boy.

"Nope!" Talcott said playfully. "Gotta wait for ev-er-y-one else!"

Ignis sighed. Between Talcott and Iris he had calmed down enough to realize his folly and that he would have to make the walk of shame back to the room, and... He realized he was locked out...

 _Gods_ damn _it!_ he inwardly cursed. In his haste to leave the seemingly confined space in search of air he had left his keycard behind. _The Six seem fit to taunt me this morning._ As Ignis tried to walk as dignified as he could in an old Crownsguard tank and a pair of pajama pants--which he cursed again at his lack of fortune, as they were a pair with very cartoonie moogles because he just couldn't resist the practically-free price tag and their absurd amount of comfort--and went up the stairs and hesitated before knocking on the door. Ignis could hear the Shield's footsteps and could hear muffled words behind the door--probably Gladiolus warning Prompto to prepare himself to possibly defend Noctis should it somehow be an intruder--and the door slowly opened a crack before Gladio motioned behind himself and opened the door the rest of the way.

"Just Ignis," Gladio said to the rest of the room, including a slightly alert Noctis who, upon sight of Ignis, flopped back on the bed. "You feeling better?"

"Somewhat," Ignis admitted, seeing the coffee pot had been filled with coffee.

"I refilled it," Prompto told the Advisor, some of his usually extreme energy subdued and calm. "I thought you'd like some fresh coffee when you got back."

"Thank you, Prompto," Ignis said, genuinely touched by the kindness.

Ignis took his cup--which he had to fish out from his suitcase--grabbing the pot to pour himself a mug of coffee. He drank until the pot became empty.

Prompto quickly jumped up and rushed out the door to get more coffee from the front desk.

"You freaked the kid out pretty bad, Iggy," Gladio told the Adviser, causing Ignis to pause his drinking of the last cup for a moment. "Had me a little concerned, too... You know you can lean on us if you're stressed out."

Noctis mumbled an unintelligible agreement... or at least that was what it vaguely sounded like, but it could have just as equally been silly sleep talk that the man was sometimes prone to.

Ignis sighed and raked a hand through his unkempt hair.

"I do believe I overreacted just a tad," Ignis admitted after a few moments of silence that were permeated only by Noct’s soft snoring.

"'A tad'? I think it was more than just 'a tad', Iggy," Gladio told him, his black pants being the only thing he had on besides the towel that hung at his neck.

"Alright, Gladiolus. I'm aware that I overreacted to the stress of our current situation,"  Ignis grudgingly admitted to the Shield, drinking the rest of his coffee.

Prompto entered the room with several prepackaged packets of Ebony and Ignis practically hissed when Prompto pulled a stray decaf packet from the group, causing Prompto to laugh hysterically.

"You sound like a coeurl!" Prompto said in between laughs. "Man, I wish Noctis had been awake to--"

A snort emanated from underneath the sheets and Prompto redoubled in laughter. Gladiolus couldn't help but grin at Ignis' rapidly growing Lucian-tomato-red face. A knock came at the door and Gladio--still grinning--answered to find little Talcott standing on the other side, jumping up and down excitedly.

"C'mon, get dressed! We're going to the market!" Talcott said excitedly.

Jared came from around the corner and walked to the door with the aide of his cane.

"Slow down, Talcott. They might not even all be awake," Jared scolded his grandson.

"Nah, we can go without Noct. He doesn't rise before noon half the time. Kid needs some rest anyways after everything he's been through," Gladio said, smiling at Jared. "Everyone else is up, Ignis is just getting some Ebony before he winds up with withdrawals."

Ignis grumbled in response as Prompto began to right himself, wiping away tears. The Adviser set down his mug and grabbed a pair of slacks, walking to the bathroom and changing in there. He could hear Talcott telling Gladiolus excitedly about some cactuar figurettes that he was trying to collect. Dressing in a timely manner, Ignis exited the privy with his sleep clothes folded and draped over an arm.

"I will be ready once I see these to my bag," the Adviser informed the group.

"I shall stay behind to keep watch on the Young Master, if you will permit me... and allow my young grandson to accompany you into the market to gather a few things for Miss Iris," Jared offered, nodding his head in respect to the conscious party.

"Sounds good to me," Gladio said, shrugging with a smile and turning to Ignis and Prompto, "what about you guys?"

Ignis nodded and Prompto piped up with a "Sure!" and the decision was made.

 

*****************************************

 

Talcott ran forward, pulling Prompto along by his hand.

"C'mon, this way!" Talcott called to them excitedly. "I found one of the Cactuars over here!"

Prompto happily let himself be lead along by the small boy, acting as though he were being dragged along by Talcott too quickly. Ignis and Gladio laughed quietly at the amusing sight. The younger blond was good with kids, it would seem. Ignis paid for several potions and four Phoenix Downs, as well as a couple Elixirs; the advisor also perused the spices and foods areas, always keeping young Prompto and Talcott within view. He handed the items to Gladiolus, who had become the designated bag holder. Prompto walked with Talcott--still holding the boy's hand--over to Ignis and released his hold so that he could run full-speed into Ignis who nearly fell over at the unexpected rush.

"Talcott might have something you would be interested in a cool story about a _sword_ ," Prompto said, turning to whisper something to Gladiolus who nodded. They quickly left Ignis with the child.

"You wanna hear it?" Talcott asked, a grin splitting his face.

For a moment he saw Noctis at the same age--though their heights were very much similar in memory--with the same excited grin about some Sword Story his dad would tell sometimes when Ignis spent the night because his lessons ran late, causing a very odd sensation of déjà vu. Ignis nodded and let Talcott begin his epic tale about a sword, and waterfalls, and... royalty? _Hmmm..._ Ignis wondered to himself.

"Talcott, is the sword _itself_ royal, or is it _used by_ a royal?" Ignis asked him.

"Grandpa always says it's a _Royal_ Sword!" Talcott confirmed.

"Well, I'd love to hear more about this _Royal Sword_ ," Ignis encouraged, listening to the seven year old tell the harrowing tale about the sword in detail that impressed the Adviser.

The story was slightly different from the one he vaguely remembered the late King Regis telling when he and Noctis were small, but the main points were the same: it was about a Royal Sword and was used by someone whose identity was lost to time. There was one key difference in Talcott's telling compared to the late king's.

"A waterfall?" Ignis asked, surprised as he and Talcott strolled around the town.

It was then that he noted that Gladio and Prompto had disappeared.

"Yeah! I think that's so cool!" the boy told him, jumping down from step to step as they wandered from the front of the EXINERIS plant down a side path that branched and looked to head back in the general direction of the Leville.

"Careful!" Ignis warned, catching Talcott before he fell flat on his face when a jump landed too far forward on the step and the boy wound up standing on the edge.

"Sorry, Mr. Ignis. Thanks for catching me though!" Talcott said, running again toward the hotel.

 

****************************

 

When Ignis and Talcott arrived back at the Leville, the Adviser saw that he was right about the other two of their group disappearing back to the hotel. Prompto held a little Cactuar in his hands and presented it to Talcott who let out a squeal of joy as he danced around with the figure and showed his grandfather.

"Iris managed to drag Noctis out to see the sights, and Prompto wanted to get the little thing for Talcott," Gladio said, nodding his head toward the happy child jumping up and down and striking a silly cactuar pose.

"Think the story is relevant?" Prompto asked.

"It certainly warrants looking into," Ignis told him, nodding.

They chatted for a bit, with Talcott showing off his new Cactuar to Ignis with an excited voice. Soon enough they could hear Iris' chipper voice and Noctis' bored tones--although he seemed to be enjoying himself in the moment. The two entered the Leville with Iris practically glowing and Ignis couldn't help but feel a slight sadness for the girl. Like Prompto, Iris was crushing hard on Noct, but she was the type that knew he would probably end up in an arranged marriage with some noble higher in rank and status than she.

"Hey, look who's back!" Prompto called out. "Talcott, go on and tell 'em what you told me."

"You got it!" Talcott said with a vigorous head nod.

"Oh, come now," Jared sighed at the boy who was still facing Prompto with his fists balled up with pent-up excitement, "show some respect."

"Woah," Prompto couldn't stop himself from saying, holding up a hand with his eyes closed for a moment, his grin as wide as Talcott's, "no need to respect me--I'm not royalty."

"So," Talcott began, ignoring his grandfather with the eagerness of most children who have their hearts set on doing a task, "there's this legend about a sword. And the sword's supposed to be behind a waterfall nearby."

"It may well be one of the lost tombs," Ignis chimed in.

"Check it out?" Gladio asked.

"For sure," Noctis decided, nodding toward the small kid. "Thanks for the tip, Talcott."

"You're welcome!" Talcott told him, beaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best way to end a chapter! With the ever adorable Talcott who makes me fanmom. Such an adorable little guy, I just wanna hug him!


	17. Gladiolus

Gladiolus gave his sister a large hug just before the group began heading back toward the Regalia after wishing farewells.

"We will have to stop and make a quick refuel," Ignis said as they strapped into the car.

Noctis acknowledged Ignis with a nod.

"Folks here are real friendly," the gunslinger admitted as he clicked his seat belt into place.

"Yeah, everybody greets you." Noctis laughed. "Takes some getting used to."

"You draw more attention here than you do at home," Prompto teased.

Ignis drove over to park at a nearby gas station and pumped the fuel into the tank, paying right there at the pump.

Gladiolus took out his book as he was already beginning to feel car sick since Ignis had yet to even roll down a window, instead opting to blast the AC. By the Six, he had hated car rides even as a kid. As he got older he got better at hiding it, so the Adviser was the only other one in the car to know about his embarrassing weakness. As the bespectacled man buckled back into the driver's seat and sped off, Gladio could feel his stomach clench and clammy sweat began to form on his forehead.

"You still that hot, Gladio?" Noctis asked, noticing the spots of sweat on his brow.

"Yeah, it's like we're sitting in Ifrit's asscrack at high noon," Gladiolus grumbled, hoping that it was convincing enough.

Noctis snorted, "Man, you just don't cool down do you?"

"Hah!" Gladiolus laughed, motioning to the ultimate manly physique that the Astrals had blessed him with. "I'm not supposed to be hot, I'm supposed to make the people around me hot and--"

"Amicitia, behave!" Ignis scolded from the front seat.

Gladiolus snickered as he caught Ignis' eyes in the rear-view as the Adviser sighed, trying to sound exasperated and ending up with a mix between that and amusement. Prompto's camera clicked at the scenery and Gladio could see over the top of his book that at least one snapshot was taken of the backseat and its two residents.

Noctis stared out the window, breaking the silence. "Do you think there's one of the Royal Arms in the waterfall nearby?"

"Well there's really no telling until we see for ourselves, but there's always truth in stories and legends," Ignis answered.

Gladiolus simply grunted in agreement, feeling as though if he opened his mouth he might spew chunks.

The next thing they knew the quiet was being permeated by a chorus of grumbling bellies. They hadn't exactly eaten in their haste to check out the feeble lead they had.

"I suppose we _probably_ need to eat something before we dive head-first into a waterfall." Prompto chuckled.

"I must agree," Ignis concurred. "Our destination is right up ahead; I shall whip up something quick if there is a good spot to do so."

All the Shield could think about doing was getting out of the cramped car.

As soon as the Regalia was pulled into the Burbost Souvenir Emporium parking lot, Gladio got out of the car with the excuse of "scouting ahead". What he was really doing was gulping down air and trying not to throw up. He did make good on his excuse and look ahead to see what the terrain looked like. Going down a set of stairs and then down another, Gladiolus found a worn dirt path--filled with foliage on his right and rocks on his left--and followed it until he could see the river and...

"Well, shit," the Shield muttered to himself, ducking out of sight, "that's a fucking Midgardsormr..."

The large snake-like beast slithered along between the bottom of the path and the water, its tongue flicking in and out to taste the air. Gladio didn't like the fact that something _that fucking big_ was in their way, but there was really no helping it. He dashed back to the group where he found both Ignis and Prompto running in and out of a camper, both wearing aprons.

"So why is Prompto in the kitchen?" Gladiolus asked.

"He insisted," Ignis said with an annoyed voice. "Kicked me out of the kitchen 'to make some home food, man!'"

The Adviser actually mimicked Prompto's voice rather well, and Noctis snorted with laughter.

"Iggy's not fond of someone else cooking, I guess." Noct chuckled. "Take a break, Iggs, kick your feet back."

"Not _more_ names..." Ignis groaned under his breath.

"Not fond of nicknames, either?" Gladio smiled for a moment before turning serious. "All jokes aside, we might actually have a small problem on our hands. Not that we can't take it, but it's also no joke."

Gladiolus quickly described the super-sized snake and where it was stalking below he watched Noctis took his phone out and looked up a picture.

Ignis simply looked through the metal fencing that guarded the serious drop to see the beast, though it was hidden mostly from view by nature.

"It seems quite large," the bespectacled man noted, catching several glimpses of it as it peeked out from time to time from the trees that obscured a portion of its chosen hunting grounds.

"It's pretty big," Gladio admitted. "And venomous by the looks of the sacks on the sides of its head."

"How many antidotes do we have on us?" Ignis inquired.

"About five, but they're pretty damn cheap, so I could grab us a few more while you relax," Gladio told the Adviser.

"How about you do the Ancient Chant of Siam?" Prompto asked, his voice carrying from an open window.

"Siam?" Ignis asked in genuine confusion, a rarity for him.

"Yeah, I think I heard of him..." Noctis continued with a mysterious glint in his eye.

"Yeah, he was someone who was back from the Founding King's era. Not many know about him anymore but he was, like, _crazy_ smart and wise!" Prompto continued. "I could teach you his most famous chant if you wanna relax. Helped me meditate in school for exams."

Noctis cringed at the word "exam", but seemed to be holding something back. Gladio was suspicious about this Siam guy and wanted to know what the two were up to, and poor Ignis was so confused that he didn't have his guard up.

"Alright, then. Teach me this meditation chant then, since you three seem so determined for me to 'relax'," Ignis challenged.

"Alright, so repeat after me then," Prompto said, walking out of the door and putting his hands together as though in prayer and taking a deep breath.

Ignis imitated the pose after a moment, waiting.

"O wah..." Prompto said in a sagely voice.

"O wah..." Ignis copied.

"Tagoo..." Prompto continued.

"Tagoo..."

"Siam." Prompto then smiled widely as though fully relaxed.

"Siam," Ignis said, still as confused as ever and about as relaxed as he was a moment ago. "I don't think it worked as you intended, Prompto."

"Nah, sometimes you gotta repeat it. Do it until you can _feel_ it, man!" Prompto scurried back into the camper as soon as a slight burning smell floated over to the group.

Ignis sighed and repeated the words over and over. "O wah tagoo Siam."

Gladiolus immediately realized why Noctis was snickering and had to fight laughter himself. It quickly became harder and harder to breathe, let alone try not to laugh. He watched as Ignis' face grew more irritated as Noctis began to laugh harder. The Shield watched as his charge lowered himself onto the pavement laughing so hard he was doubled over crying. Tears were also in Gladio's eyes as he snickered here and there, trying seriously hard not to lose it and look like an idiot the way that Noctis had.

 _"What seems to be so bloody funny?"_ Ignis demanded through gritted teeth.

"Dude," Noctis managed to say, "just _listen_ to what you're saying!"

"O wah tagoo... Siam..." Ignis couldn't help the blush across his cheeks and a small chuckle escaped his lips as he smirked. "Oh what a goose I really am."

At that, Gladiolus lost his sense of self-control and doubled over in laughter, joining Noctis on the pavement. Ignis couldn't help the grin that spread on his lips as he shook his head and walked toward the souvenir shop.

"Wait, Specs!" Noctis chuckled. "Where're you going?"

"To be a goose elsewhere and inquire about Antidotes!" Ignis shot back merrily.

Before too long Ignis came back with a few more potions.

"No antidotes?" Gladio asked.

Ignis shook his head in answer as Prompto ran out to present some dumplings.

" _Ta-dah!_ Dumplings I got from some really cheesy dive back in Insomnia. Managed to figure out their recipe." Prompto announced proudly to the group. "Kinda burnt the bottoms though."

The group ate in relative silence as an hour ticked by. Eventually the group cleaned up and made their way down the dirt path that Gladiolus had previously trekked across. Eventually they came upon the Midgardsormr, the great serpent slithering around and hissing slightly. As it neared where the four had decided to bunker down, the small group began to signal ideas to each other. Using the Crownsguard signals since they were split between two different locations, Prompto began the conversation.

 _Distaction? I shoot, you swing sword from behind?_ Prompto signaled to Gladio and Ignis who both nodded.

 _I Magic Flask, fire and burn? Lightning from afar?_ Ignis said with his hands to Gladio in agreement, lifting a Magic Flask and shaking it carefully.

 _Noctis? Keep close to me. Link Strike from rear._ Gladiolus replied quickly.

Prompto told Noctis quietly in his ear and he nodded, looking at his Shield with determination. Gladio silently held up a fist with three fingers. Two fingers.

One finger.

Suddenly they all snaked out from their locations with Ignis immediately breaking a flask by throwing it at the main body of the Midgardsormr and missing as it dashed to the side at the last minute, freezing up as lightning struck its body. Prompto ran in the opposite direction of Gladiolus and Noctis and shot at it repeatedly until it began moving again and Prompto ducked behind a rock for a moment to figure out where to run next. Gladiolus and Noctis began to run immediately to the left, but the Serpent sprayed a stream of venom at them, striking Gladiolus as he used his body to do his duty as Shield. He spat as much venom as he could from his mouth and pushed Noctis behind the pathetic cover of a tree.

"Are you kidding me? That thing is huge!" Prompto shouted as he darted out from behind his rock and sent a barrage of bullets at the giant snake.

Ignis flipped in with an acrobat's grace by launching himself from his polearm and smashing a flask against his daggers, imbuing them in Flame Magicks. But with a flick of its tail Ignis was launched to the side and his daggers flung out of his hands.

"Iggy!" Prompto yelled, switching to a heartier gun and blasting at the Midgardsormr with huge shots that physically moved the snake. It spit another stream of venom, this one aimed at Prompto who let out a yelp as he was doused in the liquid. Venom dripped from his hair as he leapt into the open with little cover to try and give Ignis time to recover.

Ignis forced himself onto his feet and charged at the snake with a polearm at the ready. At the same time Gladiolus and Noctis ran from their meager cover and tried to reach the Midgardsormr's blind spot from the rear as Ignis moved to attack from the front. The hardest part was not getting hit by its tail. Noctis managed to strike first, sword phasing into his hand as he swung, and his blade struck deep within the serpent's scales and the flesh beneath. Gladiolus was right behind with his greatsword striking where Noctis had freed his blade as he jumped to grant his Shield room to swing and strike true. The Midgardsormr let out a hiss and struck out quick as lightning, knocking both Royal and Shield off their feet and into the air. The two landed hard on the rocky shoreline.

"Noct!" Prompto and Ignis both yelled at the same time.

Noctis managed to weakly rise to his feet and feebly stumbled in a random direction; Gladio however was only able to roll to his side. Prompto sprinted over to the two half-conscious members of their group and quickly assessed them, making sure Noctis didn't wander mindlessly into the water, trying to get safely away from the battle. Gladiolus looked the worst. He was unable to stand, and his breaths were shallow along with a complexion that was too pale from obvious poisoning. Noctis, on the other hand, had stumbled to his feet and was feebly zig-zagging toward his Shield. Prompto decided to use a Phoenix Down on Gladio and give Noctis a Potion.

"Thanks, Prom," Noct said after the gunslinger held the Potion to his friend's lips.

Gladiolus, however, needed the Phoenix Down applied to him quickly. Prompto took it out and pressed it against Gladiolus' chest. The feather glowed brighter and brighter as it neared the Shield's chest until it made contact with the bruised flesh. Prompto held it fast against the other man. The magic thrummed out of the Phoenix Down and spread throughout Gladiolus' body, all Prompto had to do was focus on the healing. Ignis continued to hack and slash at the Midgardsormr, swapping consistently between his daggers and the polearm, throwing another Magic Flask which caught the giant serpent ablaze. Gladiolus groaned and cracked open an eye as the Phoenix Down's magic began to wane.

"Nrg..." Gladiolus moaned, "Prompto, where's--"

"Here. We still got a fight to win, or are you gonna throw in the towel already?" Noctis reassured, his voice teasing.

"I think it's on its last legs, too," Prompto admitted, nodding at the great serpent that was finally starting to slow down.

"Then let's finish this," Gladiolus urged with a grin, pulling himself to his feet as he and Noctis retrieved their blades from the rocks.

Ignis was doing a fair job by himself against the giant serpent, managing to duck below its slinging tail by dropping to the ground and rolling back to his feet.

"Ignis!" Noctis called and his Adviser immediately nodded, knowing what Noct needed just by his tone and call alone.

Ignis threw his daggers at the Midgardsormr, the blades landing deep within the flesh. He conjured several more--spares should he ever have need of them--and they landed just as solidly as the first two. Noctis used those as points of reference and warped to each of them, striking with his sword each time until, at the last one, the giant serpent fell still on the ground, unmoving. The gang drew deep, ragged breaths as they recovered, Ignis removing each of his blades and making them disappear into a cascade of blue light each time. It was unfortunate that they couldn't just make them disappear without touching them, that would prevent them losing their weapons, but while Noctis could have possibly done that his retinue didn't have that luxury. Not too far away Gladiolus could see the Shieldshears milling about, minding their own business so long as the four of them didn't get too close.

Gladiolus looked at the sky and gauged that while they still had plenty of time, they really did have to move on if they didn't want to be caught out at nightfall by the time they finished with the waterfall should there actually be any sort of cavern behind it. As soon as the group had recovered from their battle they turned to stare at the Shieldshears. None of them were looking forward to another fight, but they all knew that to see the acquirement of all of the Royal Armiger weapons through there would be a fair share of battles.

"You guys ready for another fight?" Gladiolus asked the group, a grin on his face.

"Arrrggghhhhh! _Another_ fight? But we just got through with one!" Prompto whined.

"We'll be through more before the day is done if we're to truly find all the Royal Weapons, Prompto. We'd best get used to it now," Ignis said with a sigh.

"At least they'll seem like a piece of cake after the snake." Noctis admitted with a shrug.

They approached the cast of Shieldshears, which began to click their claws in a territorial manner as they neared the group. The creatures scuttled back and forth between the water and a large support for the overhead bridge. The group looked at each other and nodded, weapons still in their hands; it was now or never. With a deep, collective breath they charged in. Noctis was right at least: this fight was easy compared to the snake. They hacked and slashed--or in Prompto's case shot--at the Shieldshears until the last fell under Ignis' polearm, and with that they all looked up at the waterfall in front of them. The water cascaded down the rocks and into the river beside them.

"Might as well climb the rocks, worst case scenario is us getting soaked," Prompto pointed out with a shrug.

Ignis pointed out a section of rock that angled upward a little farther forward and to the right, hugging the natural wall. As they climbed, Prompto spoke up again.

"The legend says to look behind the waterfall," Prompto noted as they began to see a darkness that stretched behind the falling water.

"What does the waterfall say?" Ignis said sarcastically with a smirk.

"I think it says... 'Come in'," Prompto replied after a moment, acting as though he were trying to communicate with the cascade of water coming from above.

They were nearly behind the waterfall at this point. They could see an outcropping of rock that was hiding behind the water. It was cooler back there, and the small tufts of grass and moss that had semi carpeted the rock faces were gradually disappearing as they neared the dark opening.

"Wouldn't you know it--an entrance!" Prompto said with mocking shock.

"Looks like the legend checks out," Gladiolus said with satisfaction, a disbelieving smile forming on his lips.

"Only part of it so far," Ignis reminded pointedly. "We have yet to find any Royal Arms at all."

"Well, then let's get to it," Noctis said, stepping through the threshold of the cavernous expanse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So due to unfortunate circumstances I'll be going on a 2-3 month posting hiatus. I hate to do such a thing, but I have no choice since I'm having to shut off my internet. Just know that in the time off I'll still be writing the fic, I'll just be unable to post since I can't afford internet right now. Thank you for reading my fic thus far and I'll see you all in a few months! <3


	18. Ignis

"Prepare yourselves for daemons, they like dark spaces." Ignis reminded the group, taking inventory of what they had left, they had no more Magic Flasks and would have to inquire about some more when they went back to the Lestallum.

"This place gives me goosebumps." Prompto said, visibly shivering. "Double back for our coats?"

"What's the point?" Gladiolus asked, his tone only slightly warmer than the air around them. "A little chill won't kill ya."

While the reply had been callously delivered, Ignis couldn't help but agree silently. If they turned around now they might just end up exiting the cavern at a time that would be too close to dark. Ignis couldn't suppress a small shiver however, it  _ was _ quite chill in that cave. They continued onward, all switching on their flashlights to better see.

"Well, looking on the bright side..." Prompto continued, teeth chattering lightly. "Maybe the cold keeps the daemons at bay?"

"Yeah," Gladio said, rolling his eyes, "because monsters like warmth."

"Ah. Sarcasm." Prompto replied, slightly hurt. "But what if they're frozen?"

_ So Gladio seems to hate the cold. _ Ignis thought to himself, noting how snippy the Shield had become.

"Encased in ice..." Gladiolus wondered, seeming to be amused by the thought. "Waiting for something warm to pass by."

"And then they jump out!" Prompto joked, no sooner had the words left his mouth than 3 Flan formed from the ground. "And there's our warm welcome."

The gunslinger shot at them immediately and the bullets lodged thickly inside one gelatinous flan while Ignis was fighting with his polearm and tried to slash at the blob-ish daemons, resulting in it getting stuck when the Advisor stabbed the weapon into the goo of one Flan's body. Gladiolus swung his greatsword at one gelatinous blob and sliced it clean in half, the Flan melting back into the cavern's floor in death. Noctis swung his sword into the daemon that still had the polearm embedded in its body and the Flan wiggled, spitting out a disgusting ball equally as gelatinous as the being it was produced by. Ignis let go of his weapon, dodged the ball of green goo, and procured his daggers from thin air so he could continue hacking at the daemon. The Flan moved its body to the side, hitting Noctis in the shoulder and knocking him to the cold ground. Gladiolus quickly made his way over to his charge's side, helping him up from the floor and quickly making sure that he was alright.

"I'm fine Gladio, help Specs." Noctis said, trying to pacify his Shield.

"Right." Gladiolus grunted. "Prompto, cover him!"

"On it!" Prompto responded, running to his friend and shooting at a nearby Flan that had decided that its ally was handling the Advisor just fine and began to focus on the gunslinger and Noct.

Gladiolus charged the daemon targeting Ignis and let out a battle cry as he swung his greatsword at the enemy, dislodging the polearm in the process as he hit the weapon by sheer coincidence. Ignis made his daggers disappear and lunged forward, rolling as he snatched the weapon from the rocky floor. Prompto was still firing off shots as Noctis prepared to square off against the Flan facing them, the bullets from Prompto's gun had begun to put holes in the gelatinous blob of an opponent. Ignis could only spare a glance in their direction however as their own opponent was charging at them with its thick arms outstretched as though to give them a deadly embrace.

Gladio brought down his greatsword on the outstretched arms and they fell to the floor, dissolving. The body of the Flan shivered as it prepared for another attack, Ignis took advantage of the daemon’s momentary distraction to slash and the daemon ceased its movement and simply oozed back into the ground. Ignis and Gladiolus turned to face the last daemon when they saw that it too was sinking into the floor with Noctis standing up from where he had hacked at it.

"Well that certainly was easier than expected." Ignis admitted.

"Heading down a slippery slope..." Prompto said as they reached a drop onto what seemed like an icy slide. "In slip-sliding shoes. What could possibly go wrong?"

The gunslinger had pointed out, painfully so, that none of them had enough grip to their footwear to walk on the slippery surface, so they would indeed be sliding down the slope as though it were an extremely cold slide. Bracing themselves they all jumped down, quickly picking up speed until they landed at the bottom.

And into the middle of a loose ring of Imps.

"You things love deep pits." Noctis said through gritted teeth as he made his sword appear.

The Imps all began floating one by one and dive-bombed each person repeatedly, living up to their names. Ignis realized that if this kept up he would have to stick to his longer weapon and sighed. The Advisor greatly preferred daggers--his weapon of choice--but he was no slouch with a polearm either. Luckily Imps were weaker creatures and the group dispatched the daemons quickly. There was a path leading upwards and the group ascended, keeping a watchful eye out for any more daemons that were likely to creep out of the darkness.

"So much for a 'little chill'." Prompto whined, running his hands up and down his arms to promote warmth. "Ugh, I got an ice cream headache--without the ice cream!"

As Prompto continued to whine, with everyone replying with something similar at one point or another, they kept walking up the slope until they reached a second slippery slope to which Prompto moaned again about the cold. They eased down onto the icy slide--this time the way down much shorter--alerting a nearby Arachne to their presence and she attacked, shooting a web from her backside which flew over the retinue's heads as they landed on the solid ground.

Daggers flew from the Adviser's hands immediately, several striking true and two missing the opponent completely, landing somewhere behind the daemon.  _ Definitely not looking forward to finding those later… If I could even find them, that is. _ Ignis sighed inwardly.

The Arachne screeched her displeasure at having been hit and attacked with lightning balls aimed at each of them, the only one that hit had been aimed at Prompto who had landed wrong on his leg and was limping. Ignis lept into the fray, getting into close-quarters combat and slashing at the daemon's legs, causing her to howl in anger.  _ Is the cold actually making them weaker? _ Ignis wondered.  _ None of the daemons seem to be putting up much of a fight... _

Prompto popped some shots and Gladiolus stuck nearby Noctis to act as Shield while the other two rotated in, silently communicating with each other.

"Prompto, go under! I'll go over!" Ignis shouted as he phased his daggers out for his polearm and began to run at the Arachne.

Prompto and Ignis both ran at the Arachne while she charged for another lightning attack, Prompto sliding below and blasting holes in her belly while Ignis vaulted over her and thrust his long weapon unto her back to use it as an anchor and steady himself while he tried to summon pure ice into his free hand.

Everyone linked by magick to the Royal Family had varying degrees of control over the elements; while only the actual family themselves could draw it from Eos, once harvested and stored everyone with ability could use it. Not everyone had the talent though; for example: while Gladiolus could use it decently, it was simply not his style but he'd resort to using it in a bind. Whereas Prompto was horrible at it--even with the extra help of the Magic Flasks to concentrate--and his use of it  _ always _ resulted in his injury to the point that they stopped training him to hone it as a skill. Ignis was a natural, with the only other ones who came close--that he knew of--being Cor the Immortal himself, and Nyx Ulric. Maintaining the Magicks took a great deal of concentration and focus; one moment of being too lax could result in your spell backfiring on yourself or your teammates, and that was  _ with _ the Magic Flask acting as a vessel with its preexisting spell--definitely useful in a pinch--but they were all out of those. Without a Magic Flask to assist any distraction use of the Magicks could result in horrifically disastrous results.

Concentrating on the thought of ice, Ignis could feel the cold envelop him. His limbs began to go stiff and his blood felt as though it belonged to the Glacier herself rather than him, he shivered as the icy coldness began to hurt him...

_ Focus, Scientia. Simply breathe. The daemon will grow still and cold... _ Ignis thought, taking a deep breath and imagining, picturing,  _ willing _ the frost to spill forth from his hand.

The Advisor's free hand began to glow a whiteish-blue and he thrust it onto the Arachne's back. Concern flitted through his mind briefly, his hand already grown numb but it was beginning to climb up his arm now. The daemon froze in place for a moment and Gladiolus lept into action, letting out a guttural roar and swinging his massive sword at her. Her legs went out from under her and the daemon pitched forward, throwing Ignis off and straight into the arms of the Shield.

_ "Shiva's tits Iggy, you're colder than this cave!" _ Gladiolus shouted in alarm.

Prompto and Noctis rushed over,with Noct immediately seeing his Advisor's hands.

"I'll get fire." the Royal said, focusing intently on his hands as a spark formed between them.

"Gladio, where's that Remedy cream that Iggy used on your burns? I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that he might get permanent frostbite that might actually  _ require _ a doctor if we don't treat it now." Prompto pointed out as Ignis began to shiver uncontrollably.

Gladiolus nodded and tossed the small jar to the gunslinger while sweat began to bead at Noctis' brow.

"Watch out." Noctis warmed.

Gladio sat down and placed Ignis into a sitting position in front of himself, steadying the bespectacled man against his chest and holding him by his shoulders. Noctis placed one hand against his Advisor's forehead and the other on his cheek, forcing the heat from his own palms out and into the other man while Prompto gently applied the Remedy Cream to Ignis' cold hand. Slowly Noctis repeated the process of placing his hands on Ignis--first his face, then his chest, each arm and hand, both sides, and finally his legs and feet--until the man’s shivering ceased and color began to come back to his cheeks. Ignis flexed his fingers on both hands as the numb feeling finally subsided, his one hand however still prickling from the Remedy working on it.

"Thank you, I think I am sufficiently recovered now." Ignis said after a few moments, sitting up more on his own.

"What happened, Specs?" Noctis asked, his blue eyes filled with concern.

"I became distracted for a moment by the cold, and then again when I realized that my hand and arm had begun to lose feeling." Ignis stated matter-of-factly as though it were nothing.

Ignis looked around and realized that he might have actually been worse off than he had thought, and that he potentially made a grave mistake when he had worked the raw Magicks because the rest of the group just stared at him with unguarded fear.

" _ 'Got momentarily distracted' _ ? Iggy, your lips were fucking  _ blue _ !" Gladiolus reprimanded.

"And you were shaking uncontrollably." Noctis continued.

"And your hand almost had  _ really bad _ frostbite. I didn't know if the Remedy was put on in time..." Prompto added in concern.

Ignis was shocked, the last time he had gotten hurt by raw Magic was when he was first being trained by Cor when he had started high school.

"I apologize to you all," Ignis said, staring at each of them in turn, "I didn't mean to cause such distress."

Prompto ran his hands up and down his arms, flexing his own fingers, and Ignis noticed goosebumps traveling up the Shield's arms.

"Perhaps this would be a good time for us to take a moment to recuperate and warm up." Ignis suggested.

"So long as you don't wield any more Magic. Sit there so Gladio and I can." Noctis told his Advisor in a royal voice that left no room for argument.

He watched Noct walk over to his best friend and place his hands on the blond's arms, causing the man to blush slightly as warmth moved between the two.

"Lean back against me again." Gladiolus said in a low, husky voice in Ignis' ear.

His heart skipped a beat but the Advisor obeyed, feeling Gladiolus' legs shift to criss-cross. Ignis move to sit atop the Shield's lap, leaning back, and Gladio weaved his fingers together--palms up--on Ignis' lap and simply took a deep breath. Gladiolus' skin started to radiate heat. It began at his palms and gradually moving up his arms on down his chest, until his legs also emanated with a warmth that enveloped Ignis completely. Gladiolus began a low, rumbling hum and Ignis realized that the Shield must have been meditating.

"Hey big guy, we're gonna scope out what's ahead. We'll be right back." Prompto said, motioning ahead toward Noctis who was hugging a wall to move along an unseen edge.

Gladio nodded and Prompto left, following Noct where he disappeared. Ignis used this moment to see what their surroundings were, although he couldn't see much of anything if he was being honest. There was an ice element deposit nearby, causing the coldness in the room, but other than that he could see stalactites growing from the ceiling and a group of small stalagmites reaching from the ground like fingers trying to touch a sky that it would never see. Ignis tried to move off of Gladiolus' lap when the man spoke up.

"Where are you going?" the Shield’s voice rumbled quietly, looking at the Advisor with eyes half closed in concentration.

"I am warm enough, Gladio. I doubt I'm in any more danger." Ignis answered, shifting in the other man's lap.

Gladiolus took a deep breath through his nose and slowly let it out, the warmth began to dissipate and Gladio unhooked his fingers, allowing Ignis the chance to stand. As soon as he did the Shield followed suit. Ignis walked forward--grabbing all but the two daggers that were lost  and phasing them away--and saw that there was indeed a ledge they would have to shimmy across, as well as a fire deposit not too far away.

"Watch your step." Gladiolus warned.

"No more slip-ups." Ignis nodded, carefully stepping on the ledge.

A moment later they were both standing on the other side, where they saw Prompto and Noctis standing on a rock bridge surveying what they could see. The deposit was glowing low and the heat could barely be felt emanating from the rocks.  _ Noct must have harvested the energy to replace what was used. _ the Advisor thought to himself. The two on the bridge were discussing something that Ignis couldn't hear as they turned to head back down. Noctis looked in Ignis’ direction when he and Gladio had drawn closer.

"We were just about to head back." Noctis told them. "It's all flat below us, but I'm not sure if we should follow the overhang or if we should just continue along that way."

The Royal pointed at the direction behind them and his now-left since he was now facing Ignis. The Advisor shifted his glasses slightly lower on his nose and placed two fingers against his temple, closing his eyes to concentrate.  _ There's no harm in looking in either direction, but the question is which to look in first... _ he thought to himself, none of them would agree to splitting up and Ignis didn't even want to entertain that thought, gods forbid that something were to go awry.

"Let's try the path behind me first, we can always double back to check the other path." Ignis offered.

Prompto nodded, "I like that plan."

Noctis shrugged, but didn't say no and walked back toward the fire deposit, drawing the last of its energy out which caused the stones to go dark. They didn't even walk a handful of steps when they had to dispatch three more Flan. When that was over they continued on the trail, with Gladio in the front and Prompto in the rear. The path soon began to drop and the ceiling lowered down close enough to almost touch before raising back again. Gladio phased his greatsword into his hand and swung the weapon at several Imps that had appeared, cutting most of the enemies down instantly and severely wounding one more. Prompto started shooting and Noctis jumped into the fray with his own sword in hand, Ignis phased his daggers into existence and ran into the fight as well, slashing at the last Imp that had managed to be missed by Prompto. When it fell Ignis had decided that the daemons must be responding to the cold with slower movements which he intended to use to their advantage.

"It appears that we have hit a dead end." Ignis pointed out as the reached a small alcove.

"I think I saw something a little farther back that we can continue through." Prompto piped up, jerking his thumb behind him.

"Whatever gets us outta here, too cold for my tastes even if I run warm." Gladio grumbled to himself.

The group doubled back to where Prompto showed them he had seen a way forward and they continued onward, crossing an overhang.

"So, the glaive is through here?" Gladio questioned.

"Most likely." Noctis droned.

"Let's see for ourselves." Ignis said, seeing a lightning deposit and feeling his skin prickle as they neared it.

The retinue stopped to let Noctis absorb it before continuing, moving forward the four saw a figure pacing ahead accompanied by three amorphous blobs.

"Ronin." Gladiolus hissed.

Dispatching the Flan were easy enough, especially since the Ronin seemed primarily focused on the Shield.  _ All that muscle, and that sword really don't do him any favors, _ Ignis thought to himself. That was the only conclusion he could come to: Gladiolus' massive muscles and the fact that his sword was nearly as tall as he was made him seem like the bigger and more credible threat of the group, causing the Ronin to hone in on the man and attempt to eliminate him to get to the weaker prey. It was working too, Gladiolus had a deep cut on his abdomen and he was bleeding freely from a gash over his brow. Ignis felt his heart stop for a moment before reminding himself that those wounds often bled plenty, but were no real threat other than potentially blinding the sufferer. The Ronin, realizing that he was outnumbered, placed a hand on his katana and darkness began to seep out of him.

"Noct! Back away!" Gladiolus yelled as the darkness grew more opaque.

Ignis and Gladiolus quickly engaged the daemon in close combat while Prompto tried to shoot without hitting them--not hard when the daemon swordsman was about three feet taller than his opponents--aiming at the Ronin’s large chest. The daemon grunted and swung his sword, dark spears thrusting from the ground and catching against them all. Ignis managed to dodge most of them, escaping with only a handful of scratches, but Prompto and Gladiolus weren't so lucky. Ignis didn't have the luxury of making sure the two were ok, he ran up to the Ronin and gripped his daggers tightly in his hands. Deflecting a large katana with two daggers wasn't necessarily easy, but he had practice thanks to Gladio and his own large weapons. At last the Ronin was thrown off balance by one parry that allowed the Advisor to land both daggers in the daemon's chest. It stumbled down to one knee before dissolving into darkness.

Looking around Prompto seemed to be fine, but Gladiolus was bleeding heavily from an injury in his leg that an Elixir managed to mend enough to stop the wound from gushing blood. They would need to see to the leg after they exited the cavern so that it could be made sure that the Shield's limb wouldn't have any potential complications.

"I'm fine," Gladiolus assured, "Let's just get this Arminger and get out of here before I have blue balls from frostbite rather than--"

"Amicitia!" Ignis chastised. "Perhaps you don't actually need to be looked at when we get out after all."

Gladiolus chuckled and stood up, with Noctis and Prompto standing close behind him, nodding that they were fine. Moving forward Ignis held up a hand and started to shimmy sideways across an icy ledge.

"Don't slip." the Advisor warned.

Once they made it across that ledge they were at another one that was much thinner--but   _ not _ made of ice, thank the Astrals. As he began to hug the wall and move along the edge he could vaguely hear Prompto say something that somewhat sounded like an alternate version of a child nursery rhyme. Once the group was nearly across Prompto said something about wanting soup just before getting serious... somewhat...

"We're almost there..." Prompto said hopefully. "We gotta be. Right?"

"Hope so. The cold sucks." Noctis replied, trying not to fall.

When they finally all stood on the opposite ledge they sighed collectively in relief, ahead was a large opening with two paths branching from each other.

"Hey! Knock, knock." Gladiolus said once they caught sight of a familiarly designed door.

"We're there... finally." Ignis sighed, he was loathe to admit it, but the cold was starting to get to him as well.

Suddenly a Mindflayer dropped from the ceiling, his tentacles swirling around his body as though connected to itself like a cloak, and several Imps flew down along with the large daemon. The four quickly dispatched the Imps and focused on the Mindflayer that had just shot out its tentacles and wrapped Noctis in them, covering his body as they pulled the Royal closer and squeezed. Ignis grasped his daggers and shot forward, cutting at the daemon's body to free Noct. Once the Royal was free the Mindflayer let out an eerie howl that echoed around the cavern. After taking a deep breath, the daemon breathed out pure icy breath, Gladiolus rushing forward to shield Noctis with his body from the oncoming frost and shuddering when it hit his body. Ignis's glasses began to frost over after the attack and he let out a tsk in his frustration.  _ This must be why it's so cold, _ he thought agitatedly,  _ I won't be able to see through my lenses if I get hit with that attack again. _

Prompto took several pot shots at the floating daemon and it turned toward him, which both Gladiolus and Ignis took advantage of. The two attacked as one, Shield attacking high while the Advisor attacked below, and managed to knock the Mindflayer from the air into a prone stated where Prompto finished it off with a shot to what looked like a face and the daemon went still. Suddenly another Mindflayer dropped from the ceiling as well and Gladiolus barely had time to dodge before it descended upon him and several Flan oozed up from the floor. The retinue worked quickly to destroy the daemons that threatened the group when a third Mindflayer dropped from above, breathing its icy breath at them and completely frosting over Ignis' glasses, forcing him to abandon them to a shirt pocket and deal with the now-slightly-blurry daemons. One thing about Ignis was that he was far-sighted, even though his vision was still fairly decent up close he still needed glasses for things like reading or driving at times. In this case the daemons were simply manageable blurs that didn't look like his friends, so there was no worry that there would be any confusion--not that there would be anyway, he could always tell where they were with or without looking. Before long the final Mindflayer was down and they were all shivering from the cold.

"Does this mean we can go back outside?" Prompto asked excitedly once they all had caught their breath.

Noctis fished out the key to the crypt from his pocket and unlocked the doors, which opened painfully slow. When Noctis approached the weapon it began to glow blue and turned transparent, floating upward as the Royal reached out toward it and, after a moment, flung itself straight into Noctis' chest. It orbited around him, rotating in its spot before disappearing.

"So that's the Sword of the Wanderer?" Ignis mused, recognizing the shape from its sketched picture in the folder.

They made their way out of the cavern and back outside, the sun nearly set. No sooner had they stepped out when Noctis nearly collapsed to the ground holding his head.

"Noct, you okay?" Prompto asked in a concerned voice, the first one out after him and running to support his friend.

Ignis and Gladiolus watched, concerned themselves and trying to gauge what was going on so that they could properly react to the situation.  _ Is he still suffering of these headaches? _ Ignis wondered to himself,  _ How long has he been hiding their severity from us? How could I not notice? _

"What did I..." Noctis began, his voice sounding both distracted and confused, "What was that?"

"What is it?" the Shield asked, staring straight at his charge.

Noctis was leaning against his knees with Prompto crouched next to him, ready to catch his crush should strength fail him. Ignis placed his hands on his hips and tried to think, this was probably the Archean's calling, heeding the…  _ King, _ Ignis told himself, mentally shaking his head, _ I have to stop thinking he's still the Prince…  _ to prove his worth and begin to gain the favor of the Six.

"A hole in the ground... something burning..." Noctis tried to explain vaguely, bringing the Advisor out of his own head. "The Meteor?"

"You saw the Disc of Cauthess?" Ignis asked, shocked.

Noctis simply looked over to Ignis and nodded his head, Prompto stood up, just as surprised.

"Let's make our way back to Lestallum." Gladiolus said, and Ignis couldn't have agreed more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got my internet back (for now) and I'll be downgrading from 2 posts a month back to one thanks to issues in my pregnancy. I'm still writing and plan to update and will get back to 2 posts as soon as I am able. :) Next update (unless issues arise) will be posted on the first Monday of next month!


	19. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And big thanks to the ever lovely Radical Anus for being my beta. Love ya girl. Go check out her stuff, it's awesome! ;)  
> Also: prepare for dirty scenes guys, this chapter is NSFW.

When they reached the Outpost with the Souvenir shop it was too late to travel and seeing as they had already paid for the RV so they could cook earlier it was agreed that they would stay the night there leave the next morning. Gladiolus winced  at the pain in his leg, the Elixir had helped a good deal, but the battle that had ensued after it did just as much damage as the brew had fixed. The good news though was that the pain in his gut was gone and the wound above his eye was fixed as well, his leg was the only thing needing attention. It was still sore and he could still feel where the darkness had pierced his flesh. Gladio limped to the RV and sat on the bed in the back, having to first wave off Noctis and Prompto who tried to mother him good naturedly. Ignis immediately grabbed the first aid kit and set the other two to unpacking his supplies to get dinner started. He walked to the small bedroom in the back and closed the door behind himself.

"At least your leg is still functional." Ignis said, inspecting the limb.

"Yeah, you're tellin' me. Hurt like a bitch." Gladiolus admitted with a huff that was almost a laugh.

"You don't seem to be badly hurt, but you're going to have to rest for the next couple days to heal properly." Ignis told him after testing the range of movement in Gladio's leg, giving it a pat after he was done.

Ignis got up to leave the room, but the Shield stood up and grabbed Ignis' wrist before he could take two steps.

"What about you, Iggy? You should have someone check you out to make sure the Remedy actually worked right." Gladiolus insisted.

Ignis remained silent for a moment and Gladio wished he could see into the bespectacled man's mind, even for a moment.

"I shall be fine, Gladio. Now if you would let me go I can prepare dinner so that we may eat." Ignis said, was that a hitch in his breath?

Gladiolus pulled the other man's arm slightly, but it seemed to catch the Adviser off guard and he stumbled backward, turning as his free hand landed on Gladiolus' chest so as to steady himself. Gladio let go of Ignis' wrist, using both hands to steady the man by holding his hips between them firmly in place to prevent Ignis from potentially falling.

"Iggy, you need to take care of yourself too. Let me make sure the magic didn't hurt you." Gladio said, looking down into the other man's green eyes with his own amber ones filled with concern.

Ignis looked up at him, a blush creeping into his cheek as they stood there in silence, a tension growing in the small space between the two. Ignis didn't move or speak, but his gaze spoke to everything he couldn't find his voice to say and Gladiolus understood every unspoken word. Slowly he moved his head toward the Adviser's lips, eyes half closed, before stopping just shy of their lips touching. He just couldn't bring himself to move that mere inch without Ignis giving some form of consent, his own heart thumping loudly in his chest and his breath coming in short, hesitant bursts. Suddenly Ignis moved upward so that their lips touched, green eyes hidden behind closed eyelids. The dirty blond nipped at Gladio's lower lip as though seeking purchase, _permission_ , to dance within the brunette's own mouth. Gladiolus groaned lightly and parted his lips and Ignis snaked his tongue inside, their tongues doing a tango with each other until Gladio finally release his hold of Ignis' hip with one hand to move it up the other man's side, it continued its journey up the Adviser's chest and neck to cup his face and he pulled the man closer with the other hand that he had transferred to lay across the skinnier man's back.

 _Gods, but he tastes good..._ Gladio vaguely thought to himself through the lusty haze that began to settle over him.

Ignis placed one hand against Gladio's lower back with the other grasping the jacket's shoulder, a moan vibrating through the skinnier man, as he pushed at the fabric trying to edge it off the muscular man's shoulders. Shrugging it off, the jacket fell to the floor and they broke apart from the kiss breathless.

"Damn Iggy, this is outta nowhere but I'm not complaining." Gladio growled, his voice low and husky. "Now are you gonna let me take your shirt off to check you out?"

"Amicitia..." Ignis said in a warning voice, contradicted by him removing his own jacket to reveal his purple shirt underneath.

"For injuries. You're the one assuming I'm being dirty." Gladiolus replied with a devilish wink.

"Hmmm..." Ignis replied in a doubtful tone, watching the Shield through lowered eyelashes.

Gladiolus took the Advisor's hand in his own and slowly removed the glove from his hand, letting it fall to the floor. He looked at it, turning it over several times and legitimately looked for any signs of damage and when he could find none, brought Ignis' palm to his lips and kissed it. He kissed his way up the man's arm, his amber eyes alight just watching Ignis' every movement, until he reached the sleeve that began at the elbow, growling slightly at the fabric and flicking his eyes down to the offending article of clothing. The bespecticled man chuckled slightly and looked at Gladiolus from under his glasses.

"Having trouble?" Ignis practically purred.

"You did say that it went up your arm, and the lips are one of the most sensitive parts of the body. I was checking to see if there was any damage you couldn't feel." Gladiolus said with a wink.

Ignis raised an eyebrow at the statement, "Is that right, Amicitia? Well then, I am remiss to go against your medical expertise."

The skinnier man began to slowly unbutton his shirt, watching Gladiolus as each button showed more and more of the Advisor's pale, yet tantalizing skin. As the last button slipped through Gladiolus sucked in a breath at the beauty that was the man in front of him, how someone could look like they were made by the hands of the Astrals themselves he had no clue. Taking a step forward, Gladio lightly pushed at the shirt, brushing Ignis' skin and feeling a thrill at the contact. The casual button-up fell beside the glove in a rumpled heap as Gladiolus took Ignis' arm back into his hands gently and continued to explore it upward with his lips until he stopped, breath coming heavy on Ignis' neck as goosebumps appeared across the bare flesh of his chest.

"Gladiolus..."

The sound of Ignis breathing his name broke his control and he hungrily devoured the other man's mouth, pulling him close against his body and reveling in the feeling of their bare chests pressing skin-to-skin. Gladio's cock jumped as Ignis' arms wrapped around his neck and their kiss deepened. Taking a step back toward what was the direction of the bed Ignis decided to take matters into his own hands and pushed Gladiolus against the wall of the RV next to the bed, rocking the vehicle slightly, and Gladio broke the kiss to lean his head against the wall he now found his back against. He bit his lip and tried to bite back a moan as Ignis moved his lips downward until a kiss to his neck made him gasp. Ignis nibbled at the sensitive flesh before moving his hands from the muscular man's tattooed back and down toward the button of the Shield's jeans where he immediately grabbed the Adviser's hand, stilling him as he looked suddenly into Ignis' eyes.

"Ignis..." Gladio whispered, unable to help the nervousness that crept into his voice as he looked deep into the other man's eyes.

"I won't force you, Gladio, say the word and we stop." Ignis reassured, standing as still as a statue, his normally lighter green eyes darkened to emerald with want, staring deep into Gladiolus' own amber ones without hesitance.

 _Sometimes he seems so hot-and-cold..._ Gladiolus thought to himself, at war between his heart and his mind, _Most of the time he seems all business, but behind closed doors... he's different..._

After a moment he let go of the hand, nodding. Ignis kissed him gently as he unhooked the button and unzipped Gladiolus' jeans, causing them to slide down the Shield's legs to the floor. Ignis then slid his hand down the sculpted planes of Gladio's chest and abdomen until it teased at the edge of the man's dark boxer briefs. Gladiolus heard a whimper bubble up from his throat, into the Adviser's mouth, and turned instantly into the color of a tomato, causing Ignis to chuckle as his fingers began to dip sensually below the elastic waistband; he didn't stop there as the man's fingers closed around the Shield's hardening cock. Gladiolus couldn't help but stiffen up at the sensation; no one had ever touched him there but himself and he couldn't help his nervousness until it was obliterated by Ignis stroking him, speed growing as his hardening member began to stand at attention and he couldn't help the moan that escaped from his lips.

"Now, now, Amicitia," Ignis purred against the other man's lips, "not so loud or you'll alert the other two."

Gladiolus shuddered at the thought of them getting caught, the idea exciting him much to his own embarrassment. Ignis suddenly stopped kissing him--when had they started kissing again?--and trailed kisses down his throat again, nipping at the skin lightly before continuing down his chest and moving to his knees before Gladiolus' crotch. The lewd scene before the Shield caused his dick to jump as Ignis pulled the underwear over his sensitive member and he hissed as his cock sprang up as it became free from the fabric containing it and slapping Ignis in the face. Gladio leaned his head back and tried to focus on his weak knees, tried to keep from having them buckle under his weight at the wonderful sensation of Ignis' moist breath against his hardened dick when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hey, we got the stuff out of the car." Came Noctis' bored tones from the other side of the door, Gladiolus' heart began to pound in his chest when Ignis answered back.

"I'm just attending to Gladiolus' wounds," Ignis said casually, stroking the Shield's cock as he spoke as though there was nothing going on in the room other than the lie, "I would hate for there to be complications from the attack and battle afterwards." Looking down, Gladiolus bit his lip as he realized that Ignis was looking straight up at him as he spoke. "I'll be out soon enough to begin preparations for dinner, I might be able to cook those Shieldshears if you could get me some of the meat from the store across the way. So long as they have some in stock, that is."

Gladiolus heard Noctis scramble out of the RV with an excited Prompto in tow.

"That should occupy them for a few moments." Ignis said huskily. "Now where was I?"

Ignis sighed against the twitching member, precum leaking from the tip, before lapping at the liquid.

"Ah!" Gladiolus moaned, closing his eyes against the pleasurable sensation.

Ignis hummed and kissed the tip before licking down the shaft, causing Gladiolus' legs to buckle with the threat to give.

"Why don't we make use of the bed?" Ignis suggested, looking up at Gladiolus seductively. "Go sit on the edge."

Gladio took a shuddering breath and nodded, trying to force his shaking legs to cooperate long enough for him to kick off his pants and boxer briefs so he could lower himself onto the edge of the bed where Ignis crawled over on hands and knees to take position between his thighs. Immediately the man removed his glasses and reached his long arms over to the side table to set his glasses safely aside before continuing his attentions on Gladio. Unable to help himself, Gladiolus moved a hand through blond's hair before fisting in it as Ignis took the man into his mouth.

"Sweet Six..!" Gladio gasped as Ignis began to bob his head, sucking.

Ignis continued to take him deeper and deeper until he could feel the back of the other man's throat and Gladiolus groaned in pleasure, trying to resist pumping into the Adviser's mouth. Ignis hummed his amusement, the feeling vibrating up the length of Gladiolus' cock.

"Gods, I'm… I’m gonna...."

Ignis released Gladio's cock with a _pop_ and wiped some stray saliva from his jaw with a long finger and licking it off slowly, making an erotic sight.

"We can't have that, I've just begun." Ignis murmured, licking the underside of the muscled man's throbbing member.

 _Shit, I said that out loud._ Gladio said to himself, all forms of cognitive thought ceasing as Ignis began lavishing his attentions back on the man full-force. What resulted was Gladiolus moaning, unable to articulate himself any farther than lust-filled sounds and incoherent attempts at words. He had no idea how much time had passed as Ignis licked and sucked, staring straight into Gladiolus' eyes which caused the man to shudder at the pure, unashamed lust in the Advisor's face. After what seemed like forever Gladiolus could no longer hold himself back, feeling like a coil that was wound too tightly and began to thrust into the other man's mouth who seemed to take everything in stride and relaxed to take the man.

"Hah... hah..." Gladio panted, feeling himself on the edge, teetering on the cusp of orgasm.

"I can't _wait_ to taste what Iggy has in store for these Shieldshear meats!" Prompto cheered excitedly from outside the RV, causing Gladiolus' breath to catch and his heart to race.

Ignis hummed, but Gladio couldn't stop, not when he was so close...

Suddenly he was falling over that edge and he released into Ignis mouth, his body stiffening as he came and his breath escaped in quiet, heavy gasps. Ignis pulled back, swallowing as he did and catching a bit of cum that had escaped as he removed Gladiolus' length from his mouth and wiping it away with a thumb before licking it off with a smirk. The Advisor stood up quietly and retrieved their clothes, clearing his throat and tossing the Shield's pants and underwear to their owner to put back on as Ignis put back on his own shirt and stuck his gloves into his back pocket--fixing his hair so that it looked like he simply put it down as best he could without removing all of his hair product.

"I'll begin dinner while you recover." he said with a small smirk and a wink as he slipped from the room.

It took a moment, but Gladiolus put his clothing back on and chuckled when he realized that Ignis never put his glasses back on. _Wonder how he'll explain that one to them, Gladiolus thought to himself, amused, While Prompto and Noct can both be oblivious they can't not notice that Specs doesn't have his specs._

Gladiolus chuckled as the very scene he was imagining could actually be heard in the other room as the door to the RV opened and Noctis' voice was clear as day.

"Ignis... where are your specs?" the Royal asked, pure confusion ringing out.

"Wait, can you even see?" Prompto questioned as Ignis could be heard moving a pot to the stove.

Gladio grabbed the glasses and stood on the other side of the door, hand on the handle, waiting to hear Ignis talk his way out of the situation.

"I can very well see, but I can see things up close better with my spectacles off. I wanted to make very sure that there was no permanent damage to Gladiolus and I can assure you that there is not. It simply slipped my mind to place them back on my face as I can see just as well without them." Ignis said matter-of-factly, Gladio could almost hear the Adviser shrug his shoulders nonchalantly.

Gladiolus chose that moment to exit the room, still slightly limping, and waved the glasses playfully. "'Bout had a heart attack myself when he took these off his face, I thought they were a permanently attached to his face."

Ignis turned to take the spectacles with a raised brow and a question in his eyes as he hung them from his shirt. _Behave_ he saw the man mouth as he turned back toward the younger two of the group.

"Since we're all in here is it safe to assume that you are all going to assist me in the cooking? If not then I must request that you vacate immediately so that I may focus on the meal." Ignis huffed.

Gladio and Noctis both made their way outside, while Prompto offered to help with the cooking. Gladio pulled out his phone and hit the King's Knight app, grinning at Noctis who immediately grinned at his Shield as he whipped out his own phone and pulled up the same app.

"I'm so gonna kick your ass this time!" Noctis declared, selecting his characters as Gladiolus laughed.

"Really now, Princess? I'll believe it when I see it, and if your losing streak has anything to say I'm not worried." Gladio chuckled with a wink as he selected his own that he had recently maxed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Frantic screaming_ I almost forgot to update, I'm so sorry everyone! Made it just in time, hope you enjoyed!


	20. Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _I'M SO SORRY I JUST HAD A BABY AND TIME SLIPPED BY!_  
>  Also I'm sorry the chapter is so short, it just ended up this way when I was writing it because it just _really_ didn't want to be written...  >.>

Ignis was washing the dishes from dinner when he thought back to what he had done with Gladio. _I don't regret the act one bit,_ he thought to himself as he set aside a plate to dry, _but it_ was _rather sudden of me..._ Gladiolus had already retired to the room in the back while Noctis and Prompto played King's Knight on the plastic chairs outside the RV. He remembered how the Shield had stared when he must have though Ignis wouldn't notice, and the Adviser wished that he could read the man's mind, if only to find out what the other thought of his own forwardness that was normally kept under wraps. While he himself had been in several relationships--though each one short-lived, as they were--he was never any good at them. He remembered his last boyfriend from the previous year, about the constant complaints about his nature.

 

****************

 

"What's wrong with you!" Solum demanded in his deep voice, exasperated and at his breaking point.

Ignis looked up from the file that lay in his lap at the phrase, his notebook in one hand and pen in the other. Solum raked a hand through his short red hair, pacing in the living room. Ignis sighed and placed the pen in his ear after capping it and inserted the notebook into the file before shutting it.

"Context." the Adviser said simply, peering at his boyfriend over his glasses.

Solum sighed, his hand still in his hair and playing with the tips in the back, a habit--Ignis had noticed over the last month--that he did when he was either frustrated, or at a loss for words.  Given the current circumstances, Ignis assumed that both were equally as likely.

"Every time I tell you _‘I love you’_ you reply with _'hmmm’_ or _‘I'm aware’_ or something just as cold and distant." The red head finally said, his eyes glazed.

"I wasn't aware that it would need to be responded with the same words, Solum." Ignis replied with a soft sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration since he really needed to read up on this report and write a reply by the end of the night if he was to get anything done in time the next day for the meeting on the very subject.

"Do you even love me?"

The accusation hung in the air between them and it struck Ignis like a slap to the face, he could feel anger rising as his voice turned steely.

"I don't believe it necessary to say those words. You should be able to tell from how I treat you, talk to you. Just as I don't go around bragging about our relationship, seeing as it's no one's business who I am with. The tabloids have enough of a field day trying to get information out of me when I leave the Citadel every afternoon, or when a reporter happens to catch Prince Noctis and I doing something as arbitrary as allowing him a few moments at an arcade." Ignis stated coldly, staring at Solum as the man stood as still as a statue of the past Kings that stood in museums.

"For a man who acts so warm in the bedroom, you act cold as hell outside of it." Solum admitted, voice cracking midway through his sentence. "No wonder you can't keep anyone."

Before Ignis could ask what he meant by that, Solum stormed off to Ignis' room and came out with a few trinkets and clothes that he stuffed into a plastic bag that he retrieved from beneath the sink in the kitchen.

"Goodbye, Ignis." The red head had said sadly as he left, closing the front door behind him and leaving Ignis in piercing silence.

 

*******************

 

Ignis shook his head as he realized that he was rewashing Gladio's cup for what must have been the third time before setting it with the other dishes, grabbing the last of the utensils that they had all eaten with and plunging them into the hot water. He had always had trouble with displaying emotion toward those he cared about, or at least in ways that seemed to be easily discernible to most seeing as his longest relationship had been with that bastard of a reporter who only saw him as a means to an end.

"Crown for your thoughts?" Ignis heard Gladio's voice ask from behind him, accompanied by a chuckle. "Although, since we're not in the Crown City, I suppose it would make more sense to offer a Gil."

"Just... lost in thought." Ignis admitted, it wasn't a lie since he  _ had _ .

"Think it's more than that, Iggy. I've known ya for a while, and you don't get distracted to the point that I watched you wash a cup about ten times." Gladiolus pointed out, still standing behind the Adviser.

_ So it was more than I thought. _ Ignis sighed inwardly.

"I was simply trying to figure out how to approach you about earlier." Ignis admitted after several moments of silence, turning to face the Shield with suds still on his hands as he reached behind him for a hand towel to dry off.

"If you're talking about the random..." Gladio started turning pink in his cheeks as his voice cracked.

_Adorable,_ Ignis couldn't help but think to himself, though he wouldn't tell Amicitia that.

Clearing his throat, Gladiolus went on, "Blow job... then yeah, it was kinda out of the blue. I'm still trying to figure you out in some ways. Does that mean that we're officially a couple now?" Gladiolus smirked, causing Ignis to roll his eyes.

"If you wish to say that, but I've never been one for titles." Ignis said with a shrug.

The Shield snorted out a laugh. "That sounds like you."

"We still must remain vigilant that Noctis come first, however." Ignis reminded, setting the towel back down behind him.

"I know, Iggy. Kinda both our jobs to make sure the kid stays safe." Gladiolus waved off, still smiling.

"Speaking of..." Ignis murmured, walking over to stick his head out of the door to the RV, looking straight at Noctis and Prompto who were deep in a battle of King's Knight. "I'm about to be off to bed, as is Gladiolus. Don't stay up too late, we need to head back to Lestallum early tomorrow."

"Yeah, gotcha." Noctis replied, not looking up from his phone as he cheered loudly.

Prompto let out a groan and dropped the hand that held his phone into his lap. "Awww, Noct c'mon, no fair!" Looking over to Ignis he nodded acknowledgement.

"All's fair in love and war, Prom." Noctis said with a massive grin.

Ignis shut the door and retreated to grab a pair of pajama bottoms from his suitcase in the back room. Gladio had disappeared from the kitchen and the back bedroom door was shut, leading Ignis to believe that the man had gone to the room as well.The Adviser rapped his knuckles on the door to alert Gladio to his presence.

"May I come in?" The Adviser asked.

"Yeah." Gladio called through the door.

Ignis opened the door, seeing Gladiolus in a pair of pajama bottoms and an old tank top, he had a book sitting open against his chest and watched Ignis as he entered the room. Ignis nodded respectfully and walked over to where everyone's small suitcases were piled in the corner, rifling through them he found his and removed his cartoon Moogle pants along with a clean pair of undergarments and a towel.

"Do you need to use the facilities? I'm going to take a shower." Ignis inquired, looking over at the Shield.

"Nah, I'm good for now. I'll probably take one after my morning jog tomorrow before we leave."

Ignis nodded and headed to the small bathroom next door and proceeded to turn on the water, waiting for it to heat up as he set his items on the sink, realizing that he forgot to get his travel case with his shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Sighing he walked back into the other room to find that Gladio had turned to meditation,  the air crackling with raw lightning magic. Quietly so as not to disturb the muscled behemoth of a man, Ignis silently moved to grab his toiletry bag.  _ Thank the Astrals I had forgotten to zip my bag in my haste for a shower... _ Ignis thought to himself. As the Adviser straightened, he couldn't help but glance back at the Shield only to find the man staring back at him, watching silently.

"Not like you to forget things." Gladio said in a low rumble and lidded eyes, still obviously half in his meditative state.

"I am still only human, Gladiolus." Ignis replied with a shake of his head.

"If you say so." Gladio replied with a smirk, closing his eyes again.

Ignis made his way back to the bathroom, which had fogged up considerably despite only being gone for a few moments. After stripping down to only his bare skin, he slid the glass door that separated the shower from the rest of the room. The hot water felt glorious against his skin, despite the red that was already beginning to creep across it from the heat.

First Ignis made sure that his hair was thoroughly soaked before lathering it with his shampoo, thinking about what they needed to accomplish the next day: Dino was definitely a priority, but first they would stop in Lestallum to thank Talcott; they needed to let Prompto take those pictures for that Vyv character, _that_ they might as well do before they stopped in at Lestallum; he would personally have to contact Cor and see if he had made any progress with the tombs, as well as see if Dave would be willing to be their inside man for the Hunter's Association for themselves as well since a plethora of knowledge never hurt, and the more people on the job the better.

Taking a breath, Ignis stuck his head back into the steaming water, allowing the shampoo to run out of his hair as he felt for his small bottle of body wash and squirted some into his right hand before setting it back and wiping the water from his eyes. He proceeded to wash every last part of his body meticulously, from his neck all the way down to his very toes. He couldn't help but hiss as he washed his hardening member, unable to banish the image from when he had knelt before Gladiolus from his mind's eye.

Unable to resist grabbing his cock, Ignis began to stroke. Gladiolus was surely hand-made from the Astrals, what with those washboard abdominals, rippling pectorals, bulging muscles, chiseled features, and sculpted legs? Ignis shuddered, moving a hand to the wall in front of him and leaning against the other beside him so as to steady himself. The blush that rose to the Shield's cheeks when Ignis had been on his knees, simply a breath away from the other man's hardness while now-King Noctis himself had been just a turn of the knob away from discovering their tryst. Or even when Gladiolus' knees had become weak with the pleasure of his own mouth taking his length, quite possibly the first time anyone had if Gladio's reaction was anything to measure by. Ignis could feel his own orgasm rising, pleasure beginning to radiate through him and he couldn't help the soft moan that escaped his lips. His favorite had to be when Gladiolus couldn't seem to control himself anymore and had given in to his urges, fisting a hand into the Adviser's hair and fucking his mouth...

" _ Gods... fuck... _ " Ignis swore as he came hard and fast, a rare use of obscenity falling from his lips as his load fell down the drain with the rest of the water cascading down his body.

Ignis breathed hard from his release, straightening from where he had leaned against the shower wall for support. He squirted a small portion of body wash the size of an Eos Green Pea into his hand to wash both again. Afterward he quickly massaged conditioner into his hair before rinsing it out and shutting off the water, aware that either Prompto or Noctis may very well wish to use the bathroom as well afterwards.

Drying off before getting out of the shower, Ignis stepped out and put on his night clothes before leaving the bathroom with a yawn. Noctis and Prompto had migrated from outside to the front of the RV and Ignis made himself comfortable on the small couch that sat beneath a window, yawning again.

"If either of you wish to bathe yourselves, the washroom is free." The Adviser called to them.

Noctis immediately bolted from the front and ran into the back bedroom before retreating from it a moment later with a towel in hand and rushing into the bathroom where Ignis could now heard running water coming from the showerhead. Hunkering down into the couch a bit more Ignis saw Prompto step outside before closing his eyes and falling blissfully asleep.

Ignis awoke slightly to the smell of brewing Ebony and something being puled over him. Cracking open an eye he saw Prompto placing a blanket overtop him, bags under the young man's eyes as though he hadn't slept at all.

"Sorry Iggy, didn't mean to wake you up." Prompto apologized.

"You're quite alright, Prompto." Ignis mumbled while rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Ahhh... I think almost four in the morning?" Prompto guessed, checking his phone as he moved to get a mug of coffee.

_ If it's four AM then why is Prompto making coffee? _ Ignis wondered as he sat up, listening to Noctis' snores come from the front like a herd of stampeding Garula.

"You should really get some rest." Ignis said sympathetically but Prompto only shook his head in response, swirling the coffee he had poured into his small chocobo-shaped mug. "Is there something you wish to talk about?"

Silence met Ignis' question.

"Prompto?" the Adviser said, waiting.

If Prompto didn't want to respond there was nothing Ignis could do to make him, but something was obviously on the young man's mind, and he could only help the other blond if--

Prompto let out a sad laugh. "Where would I even start, Iggy? I'm in love with a guy, but he's the Prince--although I guess he's technically the King now, even if it's not official without a ceremony--and he's in love with a woman that I couldn't even begin to compete with. I'm utterly stuck in the friend zone with said guy who is straight, while you and Gladio are trying to make things work on the sidelines."

"Prompto, how--"

"I notice a lot more than you guy think." Prompto replied, pain in his eyes as he stared into his coffee mug. "I'm not gonna say anything, honest. That's your business and your relationship, and I'm truly happy for you two, really. I just... it's hard to get over on top of everything else that's happened, y'know?"

Ignis stood and made his way over to the younger blond, putting a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I understand completely" Ignis started, looking straight at the coffee pot. "When Gladiolus first denied my advances I was distraught, having put myself out there for nothing. I had never before felt so strongly for someone and felt like a fool for confessing to my feelings and to be rejected like some sort of clichéd schoolgirl." Ignis sighed, feeling the ghost of that pain in his chest. He had never felt so humiliated in his life, nor had he been able to rid himself of those feelings but he wasn't going to tell Prompto that, it wasn't something the young man needed to know right now especially since it worked out later down the road. "It took a long time to heal and put myself out there again, but I did." Ignis released his hold on the gunslinger's shoulder so he could pour himself a cup of Ebony before continuing again. "If ever you need to talk, I am more than willing to lend an ear. Always know that."

Prompto nodded his head and sniffled, quickly wiping at his eyes with his free hand. "Thanks, Iggy..."

"Now tell me about these pictures Vyv wanted you to take." Ignis said, steering away from the subject to help give the other man a distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Ignis background! I'm hoping to delve more into it because I'm really liking how it's turning out, personally.


	21. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, some stuff happened but here's the next chapter!

Gladiolus' phone alarm went off at 6 am and he fumbled for the device as it fell to the floor, causing the Shield to groan. When he finally turned off the alarm he stretched, standing up with fingers reaching to the sky and brushing the ceiling. Gladio could smell Ebony when he opened the door. He changed into a pair of loose shorts and a tank top before heading into the living room where he was met with the sight of Prompto and Ignis asleep on the small couch. Ignis’ head was propped up on his left hand and his right hand sat on Prompto’s upper arm. Prompto’s head was on Ignis’ lap, despite resting his face still looked pale and sullen.

.

 _What happened while I was asleep?_ Gladiolus questioned, tucking the thought away for later to ask Ignis when he woke up.

He stepped outside where the cool air helped to wake him.. Shaking off the chill Gladio began his usual morning stretches, incorporating a few yoga poses he’d learned over the years. . After his stretches he decided to go on a light jog to warm up. The sun was beginning to rise in the distance, so Gladiolus didn’t wander far, not wanting to risk running into any potential daemons. He jogged around the perimeter of the entire stop, coming to rest against the RV once he finished one lap.

 _I don't think I can really do another lap right now. Those potions work great and all, but nothing can heal ya instantly._ Gladio thought to himself with a sigh, heading back into the RV to shower.

Once he opened the door he found Ignis attempting to maneuver himself from under Prompto's head without waking the younger man.

"Mornin', Iggy." Gladio said, watching with amusement as the scene unfolded before him.

Ignis walked over to the sink to retrieve his mug, swirling water in it for a quick rinse before scrunching his nose in distaste at the coffee inside.

"Cold..." he grunted, placing the pot back without pouring a cup.

"Don't think I ever seen you pass up a cup of your beloved Ebony, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Gladiolus chuckled, walking past Ignis to get a towel and take a shower.

Ignis muttered under his breath about the grainy taste of reheated coffee as he dumped the cold tar down the sink.. Gladiolus laughed from the bedroom as he grabbed his shower supplies along with a black button up shirt and a pair of black pants.. He stepped back out and was shocked to see Noctis awake, at the same time he couldn't help but guffaw at the look of pure _murder_ from the young now-king at the hour of his consciousness.

"Iggy pouring out Ebony _and_ Noct’s up before noon? Is this a sign from the Six? Should I be worried??" Gladiolus laughed.

"Shut up..." Noctis growled, shooting a look of loathing at his Shield.

"That was uncalled for, Noctis." Ignis chastised.

"Geez, you're as bad as Iggy before coffee and that's terrifying." Gladio said.

"My head's killing me, Gladio." Noctis replied, closing his eyes and he rubbing his temple.

Gladiolus closed the bathroom door while Noctis complained about needing painkillers. He paid the complaints no mind as he . Fifteen minutes later Gladio exited the bathroom, still drying his hair with the towel as he stepped out to find everyone up and about. Prompto was oddly silent-- _I'll talk to him later, something's_ definitely _up with the kid._ the Shield decided. Gladio went into the bedroom and rifled through his first aid kit to see if it still had that small bottle of painkillers for Noctis’ headache.

There were antiseptics--a Potion or Elixir were only good for fresh injuries,, and if it was infected then there was really only required the old-fashioned remedy--gauze, bandages... _Aha!_ Gladio thought, pulling out a bottle, _Painkillers!_ He put everything back and into his suitcase, zipping it up and bringing the pills out to Noctis.

"Here ya go, just so happened to still have a few in the kit." Gladiolus said, tossing the bottle to his charge. "If you're feeling better later we need to train. You guys, too."

The Shield looked at the other three who each nodded in turn. The sun had finally come out in full force and Ignis moved to get things back into the Regalia. _No rest for the wicked._ Gladio thought.

After everything was finally packed, Gladio pulled Prompto aside. Prompto had spent the morning silent as the grave and fiddling with the sweatband. It had to be a nervous tick of his as Gladio had noticed him doing it every so often.

"What's up, kid?" Gladio asked, deciding to get right to the point since there was no point in beating around the bush when they were on a schedule.

Prompto stayed silent, fiddling with the sweatband for several moments before saying anything.

"Just... everything... I'm trying to stay professional, but I'm not like you or Ignis. I wasn't trained to do this my whole life. I don't know how you guys seem to have it all together despite everything that's happened." Prompto admitted, looking to see Noct and Ignis discussing something themselves before they both stopped and focused on their phones.

"We're still human, Prompto." Gladio said sadly, "We’re all hurting from what happened, hell I cried after I found out my sister was still _alive_. We simply learn to focus on it later, but we've also been doing it since we were kids, like you said. Don't worry. If you want to talk I’m here."

Prompto smiled, looking at the ground. "Iggy said something like that when I accidentally woke him up earlier..."

Gladio smiled as well; of course Ignis offered it too, the man was pretty selfless when it came down to it.

"C'mon, we better finish packing up the Regalia so we can head out." Gladiolus told the gunslinger, giving him a good-natured thump on the back.

"Iggy said we're gonna quick get those pictures for Vyv."

Gladio slung an arm around the younger man and smiled a little wider, "Glad to see you living your dream of being a photographer."

 

*********************

 

In the end it was decided that they were going to loop from the north side of the Disc of Cauthess to the south before heading back to Lestallum.

Ignis parked the car on a shoulder of the road marked Rydelle Ley Parking on the map, right next to a Haven-- _Nice to know another Haven location... Gonna have to mark it on the map..._ Gladiolus thought to himself--Why they weren't already marked on the map in the first place made no sense to him, although to be fair the map they were given were probably used by civilians, a Hunter's Map would probably have those spots marked. They all followed Prompto as he hunted for the perfect shot.

"Over here!" Prompto shouted, running ahead up to the ridge and through a group of trees.

Behind him Gladiolus could hear the petulant sigh of one spoiled Prince.

"No whining, you'll be fine." Gladio chuckled, earning a glare for the comment.

Ignis shot the Shield a look, but Gladiolus didn't have time to figure out what it meant before he turned his focus back to the path ahead. As they exited the trees they could hear Prompto cooing to his camera, though what he said wasn’t clear due to the distance Prompto was from the group and the echo from the large rock formations. Gladio smiled, seeing Prompto kneeling and continuing to speak sweet nothings to his camera--"You're so beautiful, give papa those shots!" the young blond was crooning--, and turning to his charge.

"C'mon Noct, training time." Gladiolus declared.

"What?" Noctis groaned, phasing his sword into existence all the same.

"Because no matter what you still need to make sure you train, and Prompto is probably gonna be a minute." Gladio replied, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck before shifting his own greatsword into being.

Noctis huffed, moving into a defensive position with his feet spread and his sword at the ready. Gladio held his own weapon in both hands, examining his charge's stance and grip and finding them satisfactory. The two circled each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Gladiolus feigned an attack to the right before moving to Noctis' left shoulder, Noctis saw through the feint and brought his sword up to guard. The behemoth man shifted his weight into the attack, attempting to knock his opponent off-balance before mounting his next attack. Noctis grunted as he deflected his Shield's attack, stepping out of the swing after deflecting and swinging back, their swords clanging off each other. They both fell back into a comfortable rhythm like they used to back in Insomnia until Prompto announced he was done. Gladiolus let his weapon phase out as Noctis turned to face Prompto. Noticing his chance Gladiolus charged at his King, kicking his leg out and hitting behind the knee which caused the joint to buckle--at the same time Gladiolus also pushed at the shoulder on the same side causing Noctis to tumble onto the rocks. Pinning Noctis, Gladio put his left arm loosely against the royal's throat, giving him enough room to breath, and waiting for the tap-out.

"That was cheap!" Noctis grunted through gritted teeth, tapping his Shield on the arm.

"Your opponents ain't gonna fight fair." Gladio grunted in response, offering a hand to help Noctis up from where he lie prone.

Noctis picked up his sword and made phased it away in a blue light before they all headed back down into the car. There they used the first aid kit to heal any wounds before driving toward another point on the map called...

"CHOCOBOS!" Prompto crowed loudly.

"Dude, we're _right here_." Noctis groaned, rubbing a pained ear.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Prompto said gleefully as Ignis parked the car in front of the Wiz Chocobo Post.

Gladio shook his head, chuckling. "The kid's got it bad."

"There are worse vices, I suppose." Ignis practically sighed, rubbing his temple with one hand as he hit the lock button on the car door before shutting it.

Prompto ran up to the old man feeding Chocobos near the stands, practically buzzing as he managed to get the man’s attention..

"'Scuse me. We'd like to ride the chocobos." Prompto said in a semi-calm voice, Gladio thought he could see the gunman vibrate with excitement as he asked.

 _Well it seems he likes chocobos more than photography, but we don't exactly got the time to go chocobo riding._ Gladio thought to himself, rolling his eyes at the young blond.

The older man stopped and looked at the group before speaking.

"The chocobos, huh? I hate to break this to y'all," the man said, waving his two hands in a no-go motion, "but we can't permit our birds to leave the post. Not while Deadeye's still about. He's an uncommonly ferocious behemoth that's taken to prowlin' these parts of late."

Almost in response some of the chocobos began to squak and fus. A couple of workers dropped what they were doing to calm the animals down before they were too excited. They petted and cooed as the chocobo’s heads darted too and fro.. One younger woman brought out some leafy greens and the workers slowly fed them to the chocobos until they began to quiet.

"His scent makes our birds nervous," the man continued, momentarily looking over his shoulder at the birds before looking back to the group in front of him, "an' to prevent accidents an' tragedies, we have no choice but to suspend rentals."

The older man gave the four an apologetic look before scrunching his eyes as he contemplated something. His eyes widened and his face broke out into a slight smile.

"But hold on, now--ain't you the Hunters that've been makin' a mark?" the man asked, excitement in his eyes.

The group exchanged looks with each other, surprise evident on each of their faces. _We've only done a couple hunts..._ Gladio thought to himself, _We couldn't have made that much of an impression... Right?_ Evidently the man seemed to beg to differ as he went on.

"You reckon you could handle the likes of Deadeye?" he asked. "If you could bring the beast down, there'd be a reward in it for ya. But knowin' the danger, I wouldn't blame ya for sayin' no. M'name's Wiz, by the way."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Noctis looked at the group, with Prompto seeming to be downcast at what Gladio could only assume was the thought of--

"Those poor chocobos, all cooped up because if that big behemoth!" Prompto pouted, eyeing the chocobos with pity as they ate.

"We could make a quick detour to take care of the situation. Those chocobos could be useful in a pinch." Ignis agreed, cleaning his glasses with a cloth.

Noctis thought for a moment, staring at the chocobos. Gladio was fine either way, some hiking wouldn't kill any of them but he also knew that Noctis had a lazy streak and a secret love for chocobos that he thought no one knew about, inevitably he knew Noct would accept.

"Alright," Noctis shrugged, "let's do it, I guess. To help the chocobos, right Prom?"

Prompto's eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously, scurrying to inform Wiz that they would accept the hunt. He then hurried back to the group, eyes shining with excitement from good news.

"Guys, he said he'd give us our own chocobos if we completed it!" Prompto crowed, pumping the air with his fist and singing some sort of victory tune.

"That would actually... be kinda cool." Noctis said, looking away and blushing slightly.

"He said something about Deadeye being by a rocky area. 'Look for the downed trees, y'all won't have much trouble findin' him after that' is what he said." Prompto told them, pointing at an area a little farther ahead, down the hill.

"Well let's get the last of the pictures before we try going on the hunt. We shouldn't be far from a spot." Ignis reminded them, ever the voice of reason.

Prompto nodded and went around to the back of the Chocobo Post, although he seemed frustrated by the sight of the Disc.

"This isn't a good enough shot... Maybe we can try by the racetrack?" Prompto asked, motioning to the map.

Ignis handed it over and Prompto examined it, looking around where the Racing Track was marked and pointing to an area right in front of it murmuring about possible angles before handing it back to Ignis and setting off.

"Kid's on a mission." Gladio commented to the group.

"Indeed." Ignis agreed.

 

***********************

 

Once Prompto got his shot they made their way to the location of the last Deadeye spotting. The area had a number of downed trees while others, even though they were still standing, had their bark remove leaving the bare flesh of wood exposed.. After a moment of figuring out that they were indeed moving _forward_ and not _backward_ Noctis let out a hiss and shook his head slightly.

"Another headache?" Ignis questioned.

Noctis only nodded in reply.

"This is not normal." Gladio grunted, he hated seeing Noct in pain and they needed to get to the bottom of it as soon as they could.

If only they could _find_ where the gods damned bottom even was.

A little farther, more downed trees striped of their outer bark. They were definitely going in the right direction, but where would it... There!

Suddenly there was a loud growl that echoed in the air.

"What the hell?" Gladio asked.

"Something's amiss..." Ignis said.

"C'mon." Gladio said to the group, motioning them onward as he took the lead.

 _Well this is the entrance._ Gladiolus thought to himself, seeing yet more trees that has been broken in half. The direction of the debris all pointed towards a nearby rock wall that had a break, forming an opening.. The retinue moved through it, avoiding the branches and random bits of foliage that were determined to poke and prod them before they finally got through. A loud roar ripped through the air as they entered and everyone looked around, not able to see the source until Prompto pointed out the trees ahead moving. Several trees ahead toppled down before their eyes. The beast was just up ahead.

There wasn't really a way to get lost or confused as there was only the way ahead of them, but Gladiolus still kept his eye out in case they became turned around. Prompto took a few snapshots from his camera quickly before tucking it away to gods-only-knew where and Gladio was becoming increasingly convinced it was straight up the blond's ass. Up ahead the Shield saw a pack of Voretooth lingering in the next open area, they had yet to spot the group so Gladio motioned to the rest to watch them as they attempted to blindside the pack.

The battle that ensued was swift and ended before they really even had begun, and soon after came upon a split in the path where Gladio determined that they should take the right one after scouting ahead to find the left just lead to a dead end. _We have to be getting close..._ Gladio thought to himself, because surely they had to be. Ahead was a hole in a wall small enough to crouch through and Noctis immediately started to head inside. Gladiolus thrust his hand in front of his... King... and pushed him back as a low growl permeated through the air and out of the crawlspace.

"Noct!" the Shield warned as he moved his charge behind himself, looking into the gap to see if anything was in there that might hurt his charge.

He was in official Shield-mode now as he tried to keep his body relaxed should he need to react quickly, a stiff body would only serve to have stiff reactions and those were no good. Nothing seemed to be approaching, but that didn't mean that there wouldn't be something ahead. Gladiolus quietly phased a dagger out of sight of everyone else, the space was too confined for his sword but his dagger--gifted to him by his father when Gladiolus had joined the ranks of the Crownsguard--and tucked it away into a spot in his belt, securing it before continuing.

When the rumble ceased the Shield held up his hand to the King and didn't put it down until he saw him nod in answer. Turning back to the opening Gladiolus began to crouch, maneuvering his way through until he saw a stretch of tunnel going onward. It was clear and nothing _seemed_ to be coming their way--and neither Ignis nor Prompto were letting out any alarming noises suggesting that anything was following them--so he motioned his charge to follow close behind. The young King obeyed silently, close enough for Gladiolus to hear the other man's breathing, as they moved forward slowly. He crept slightly ahead as Ignis moved into the crawlspace with them, leaving Prompto to watch their six. The path forward remained clear.. Gladiolus looked behind to check on Noctis and saw that the younger blond had now moved into the crawlspace with them, gun in hand should it be needed and his back was to them to keep and eye out.

 _Good,_ the Shield thought to himself proudly, both of him and the kid, _his training is kicking in. Nice to see that it stuck as well as I'd hoped._ Not that Gladiolus had any doubts in Prompto’s abilities, but you never knew what stuck and what didn't until you were in a situation that required it to the highest degree... _There!_

The giant behemoth made its way toward them, although Gladiolus was sure it hadn't seen them or caught their scent, he immediately turned to halt the procession and held his hand up.

"Hold up." he whispered loud enough so that the entire group heard as the beast let out a low noise.

It moved forward and shook its massive head, growling loudly at something they couldn't see. Gladiolus noticed it had an eye facing them that was blind with a long scar going over it just like on the Shield's own face, only the beast wasn't as lucky as he was.

"'Deadeye'--the name says it all." the Shield said, motioning to Deadeye with his thumb and then putting a finger over his own eye to emphasize where the great beast earned its name.

He went back to watching the behemoth, the beast had begun to eat something that they couldn't see but could only assume was some poor animal that had crossed its path. When it seemed to be engrossed in its kill the Shield motioned forward.

"Let's move." he told the group.

They all began to crawl forward again, and Gladiolus glanced behind to see how far the rest of the retinue was behind him. Ignis looked grim-faced but was following steadily, and Prompto was pale as Shiva but steady with no traces of shaking at all. The kid had really grown from when he first started to teach him the basics.

As they moved forward Gladiolus and his charge reached a part where there was a gap in the bars that were overhead of them and Deadeye began to move as Gladiolus crossed. He ducked and made his way to the other side quickly, turning to check that the path was safe before motioning for Noctis to stay put.. The behemoth began to sniff and ended up putting his great purple muzzle into the gap of the bars to sniff at the air before pulling back slightly to let out a deafening roar that shook the ground and seemed to vibrate their bodies. The Shield couldn't help tensing up as he tried to remain calm, his King was on the other side of the behemoth's muzzle and there would be no way that he could get to his charge in time but the gap was also too small for Deadeye to actually move to do damage to either of the two of them.

Gladiolus waited until the beast began to take its great steps away from their group before moving up slowly to gauge where the behemoth was. When it was a comfortable distance away the Shield motioned for everyone to follow again, they were almost out of the accursed crawlspace and Gladiolus was grateful for that.

"Here we go." Gladio said, finally relaxing fully as they reached the opening at the end.

He stepped out and stood up fully, reaching for his dagger and slipping it securely into its sheath at his belt. He really preferred his sword anyway, the dagger was only in case of emergencies. When the group all had exited Gladio walked over to Prompto, who was still paler than Shiva's ass with eyes the size of dinner plates and thumped the kid on the back.

"You did good, kid." Gladio praised the young gunslinger who let out an awkward laugh. "Just shake it off, don't be so tense. You need your full range of movement to properly defend against anyone or anything. It's easier said than done, but you'll get the hang of it."

Prompto smiled weakly and nodded, color rising to his cheeks only at the praise, as the group continued on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's weak on the right--no eye, no horn." Gladio announced to the group who all nodded.

"We'll stay in range until we can exploit its blind spot." Ignis acknowledged as they all ducked under a fallen tree to continue onward.

The path seemed to lead forever forward until they reached a fence that they had to hop over, leading into a large and open area. They spotted the behemoth amongst a large boulder surrounded by piles of rock.

"We've got the beast in our sight." Gladio said aloud.

"But no plan of attack." Ignis pointed out. "The behemoth should be headed back to its lair, where we can catch it fully off guard."

"Yeah," Noctis replied, Gladio could practically _hear_ him roll his eyes, "as long as we stay on guard ourselves."

They silently followed the beast down its winding path, Gladio wished it could just go straight to its den so they could get it all over with. He could sense that the hunt was drawing to a close and his nerves were on edge with undeniable excited--though he would be loathe to admit it--at the prospect of facing off against such a dangerous and great opponent as Deadeye. Eventually after what felt like an eternity, the behemoth jumped onto a huge rock face and jumped down onto the ground out of their sight. _Must be its den._ Gladio thought to himself. There was a gap in the rock small enough for them to squeeze through and they proceeded onward single file until they all stood on the other side, weapons at the ready for the battle that was to ensue.

"All in a day's work." Gladio said with a grin.

They walked out into a large open space where they saw a large building ruin surrounded by barrels. As they continued they all tried to keep an eye out for Deadeye, he’d disappeared as they crept out to what might have once been the front of the building. Suddenly they saw him, and Deadeye most certainly saw them as well as it let out a savage battle cry. The behemoth glared at the group before pouncing from its rocky perch. They ran at the beast, hacking at its legs and feet in an attempt to slow the creature down and maybe even knock it prone. Gladiolus ducked to avoid a paw that tried to knock him down in return Deadeye whipped its tail around while Gladiolus managed--barely--to dodge again, Prompto's pained cry followed by the audible sound of a body hitting a hard surface. The behemoth roared in glee at the sounds of Prompto's pain.

"Prom!" Noctis cried out, running to his best friend's aid to try and distract the beast from advancing on his unconscious friend.

"Noct!" Ignis yelled in kind as he and Gladiolus saw Noctis run straight into the path of the behemoth and glowing with a familiar blue light as half-visible weapons began to orbit around him.

"The Royal Arminger..." Gladiolus gasped, following Ignis into the fray.

Noctis' fury was swift as he warped around the behemoth with glowing violet eyes, hacking and lashing at the great beast as it roared in annoyance and pain. Ignis charged the beast and used his polearm to vault himself into the air and thrust the weapon firmly into Deadeye's side, quickly using it to then jump onto its back to attack it. Meanwhile Gladio went and pulled Prompto to relative safety behind the building. As the fight raged on Gladio pulled out a Phoenix Down and pressed it against the younger man’s body, holding his breath until Prompto was revived from unconsciousness.

"Ungh..." Prompto grunted before coughing.

"Drink this potion and stay down until you're recovered." Gladiolus ordered. He handed the potion off just as he felt a sudden, sharp spike of pain in his gut.

 _Damn..._ he thought to himself, bracing against the wall. The last thing he saw was Prompto pulling himself to his knees before the darkness crept in.


	22. Ignis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm late again and I'm so sorry about that, life has been getting in the way of updating this fic lately and I feel so bad about that! SORRY GUYS!  
> So turns out the bros don't have an official canon blood type! I had to take some creative liberties and decide since Square left that open. However I would like to take a moment to say that knowing your blood type and Rh factor is important as is donating blood if that's possible. ;)

_Where is Gladio and Prompto?_ Ignis thought fleetingly as Deadeye tried again to knock him from its back like a bucking wild chocobo.

Noctis darted about the battlefield launching his Royal Arms into the body of the behemoth like missiles, Ignis could tell it was draining the young Royal though. As the battle went on the beast was slowly becoming more and more worn down. Struggling to defend against Noctis’ attacks, while simultaneously attempting to buck Ignis off its back. Ignis could feel his muscles begin to burn and his breath was coming heavy and ragged.

Suddenly gunshots rang through the air.

The behemoth roared and began to fall to its side as the force behind the bullet knocked Deadeye off balance. Prompto stood at the building’s corner without Gladio, but there would be time to worry about that later. Ignis saw Prompto mess with the cylinder of his revolver-- _He changed the bullets_ \--and line up another shot as Noctis shot more of the Arminger at the beast. Ignis didn’t have time to worry about Gladio as he slammed his knives into the behemoth’s back to brace himself for the impact as the beast was slung sideways from the force of the impact. Prompto and Noctis continued to fire at the beast as its body hit the ground, Ignis managed to leap off before Deadeye crushed him beneath its massive weight. A shock of pain shot up his leg as he landed, Deadeye roaring feebly in pain as its death descended upon it in the forms of Noctis and Prompto. Limping over Ignis had to scale the beast as it went still and silent to retrieve his polearm and phase it out of existence.

“Gladio’s hurt!” Prompto called out to the other two.

Panic flashed in Noctis’ eyes. His Armiger flashed out of sight as Ignis limped over to regroup as fast as his injured leg would allow him.

“Where is he?” Ignis asked.

Prompto led the other two to  where Gladio’s unconscious body lay.

“As I was trying to stand after I woke up I guess he collapsed. All I remember is what you guys taught me about basic first aid and the ACE training.” Prompto said, twisting his wristband nervously.

“You… You can help him, right Ignis?” Noctis asked. Ignis himself noticed that Noctis’ eyes never left the Shield’s prone form, on top of the rare use of his actual name.

Not that Ignis could blame the younger man, he was worried sick enough himself that his stomach was in knots…

He knelt down and first checked on Gladiolus’ pulse, then he checked the man’s temperature by pressing his forehead against Gladio’s. _He’s burning up, as well as perspiring._ Ignis noted, his heart beating fast in his throat. He sat back up and pulled up the Shield’s shirt, suddenly feeling the color drain from his face at what he saw.

The wound on Gladiolus’ abdomen had scabbed over and was healing quickly thanks to the potion… or at least it had until the Shield kept pushing himself himself too soon and reopened the wound. It was bleeding and Ignis’ first reaction was to stop it, even if the bleeding wasn’t severe he didn’t feel like having his friend going into hypovolemic shock because they didn’t take the wound seriously enough; taking off his shirt-- _Not that it’s really the cleanest thing, but desperate times and all… We can treat infection afterwards._ Ignis thought to himself grimly--and immediately pushed it against the wound.

“We need to get him somewhere that’s clean so we can disinfect and address the wound, now!” Ignis ordered, trying to remain as calm as possible while attempting to prop the injured man against himself which caused Gladio to stir.

“Astrals…” Gladiolus muttered, “What’re you doing? Hurts like hell…”

“Gladio I need you to follow me, we’re going to have your wounds treated.” Ignis said, relief washing over him and he made sure to keep pressure on the other man’s wound. Consciousness was good.

“I’ll get a picture of Deadeye if you try to find a way out, Noct.” Prompto proposed and Noctis nodded in agreement.

Moments later the two came back, having accomplished their separate tasks. Thankfully the trek back to the Post was uneventful as they walked toward the RV sitting nearby, Wiz was already jogging over to them when he took one look at the group’s condition and his face turned serious.

“Stay tonight on the house. I have some curatives and first aid if you guys need it. See me for your reward after you make sure your friend is ok.” the older man told them.

“How did you--” Prompto began.

“The chocobos, boy! They’re the calmest they’ve been in _months_. You just worry about your friend.”

Wiz walked quickly off and Gladiolus hissed in pain and he began to slump over, Ignis tried to completely support the man as Noctis shoved a key into the lock of the RV--Wiz must have tossed over when he had tried to compensate for Gladio’s awkwardly pained gait--and Prompto ran off to the Regalia after getting the key from Ignis.

“All the medical supplies are in the trunk!” Ignis grunted as Noctis flung open the door and Ignis half-dragged Gladio to the back room and onto the bed.

“Ignis…” Noctis began in a shaky voice, “he’s really pale…”

“Noctis I need you to get something cool to bring down his temperature.” Ignis said firmly, removing his now bloodied shirt--it _had_ to be his white one--and pushed Gladio’s shirt up again to wipe up any more blood with his shirt and better assess the wound.

“I… I don’t…” Noctis stumbled, choking up.

Ignis swung his head around quickly to pin Noctis with a gaze and spoke sharply. “Noctis, if his temperature doesn’t stop climbing he will literally cook his brain and die. Get. Something. Cold. _Now!_ ”

Noctis raced out of the room, passing Prompto in the hallway whose hands were full with medical supplies and a man was standing behind him with a bag.

“Prompto, who is this?” Ignis asked, only looking up long enough to take in the new face before turning back to Gladio.

“I’m a local vet for the chocobos, Wiz came pounding on my door and told me I needed to head over for a human injury, my name is Doctor Rayz.” the man said, walking over and taking something out of a medical bag.

The veterinarian did a quick check-up and turned to Ignis.

“Do any of you know his blood type? Or any of yours for that matter?” Doctor Rayz asked.

“I know I’m O+, however I can not attest that I know anyone else’s.” Ignis replied.

It was at this point that Noctis came back into the room with a cool washcloth to put on Gladiolus’ forehead, handing it over to Ignis who placed it on the Shield’s head.

“Well today’s your lucky day,” Rayz said, pulling several packets from his bag. “All of you except this guy in the glasses gets to find out.”

 _A blood type kit..._ Ignis realized, taking two of the small packets and giving them to Prompto and Noctis.

“The instructions are inside, follow them and tell me what you get, I’ll do muscles.” Rayz instructed.

Several moments later everyone had their blood type: Prompto being A+; Ignis was O+, and Gladiolus and Noctis both having B+. The doctor looked at Noctis and patted the seat next to him.

“Looks like you’re the lucky winner in preference, son. Sit right here, he’s gonna need some blood.” the vet said cheerfully, fixing Ignis with an additional stare. “If he needs more I may have to come get you, otherwise I’ll need you two to wait in the other room.”

Ignis nodded and led Prompto out, grabbing his shirt to try and see if he could wash the blood out--thank the Astrals he wasn’t squeamish when it came to blood--but Prompto seemed to have turned slightly green at the mention of blood and was holding his blood card like it was diseased while staring at the shirt.

“Are you alright, Prompto?” Ignis asked, looking at the younger blond.

“I, ah... Just not the biggest fan of blood… I think I’m gonna be sick…” Prompto declared, dropping the card and running into the bathroom.

Ignis sighed and left the poor young man and proceeded to try and find Wiz. About five minutes was all it took and the man looked grim.

“How’s your friend doing?” Wiz questioned.

“So far he’s doing alright, but Rayz isn’t through with him. I was wondering if you had a washing machine I could borrow, we didn’t exactly have anything to put on a wound except our clothing and I acted out of impulse…” Ignis said, holding his shirt up.

Wiz nodded and led him to a set of two washers and dryers. “There’s not a lot of us, but we use these. For the time being you can too, hopefully you can get that out.”

“I have a secret that has gotten out quite a few stains.” Ignis smirked for a moment before his face turned serious again.

He thanked Wiz and opened one of the washing machines to throw in his bloodied shirt before tossing a few things in with it, including some detergent, and turned the machine on. Then he found a sink and washed his hands before realizing he was prancing about without a shirt on. _Lovely,_ he thought to himself and sighed before shutting off the water and cleaning any spots that he had left blood on before returning to the RV.

A less green Prompto was sitting on the couch and Ignis took a place beside him, running a hand through his hair which caused it to become mussed. He was worried, there was no denying that, but there was no use dwelling on it, he needed to believe in Gladio’s recovery and the vet’s medical skill. Noctis came out of the room a minute later and sat down next to the other two, holding a cotton wad in the crook of his elbow.

“He says Gladio should be fine.” Noctis said, his head hung low and voice full of emotion. “He’ll be ok…”

Ignis reached over and gave a comforting pat to the Royal’s knee before requesting the keys to the Regalia so he could get a shirt back on. He used this opportunity to simply breathe and calm down; anything that would be needed could be obtained through either Prompto or Noctis so he could take this one moment.

Ignis popped the trunk and searched for his bag--while using one hand to try and fix his hair--so he could grab his grey Crownsguard shirt, once retrieved he saw to find Wiz once more after shutting the trunk door. He found the older man feeding Graelian lettuce to a light purple chocobo with a glossy finish to its feathers.

“I believe the vert is almost finished helping us, we are very grateful for your assistance.” Ignis said graciously, fussing with the bottom of his shirt. It never did feel like it went down far enough.

“The least I can do, you guys _did_ take down Deadeye right? The chocobos seem pretty calm, but I just want to be sure.” Wiz responded to which Ignis simply nodded.

“Prompto has the picture.”

Wiz waved his hand back and forth, “Don’t worry about it for now. Just send him with the Rayz when he’s done looking after your friend.”

“That’s a beautiful chocobo you’ve got there.” Ignis said after nodding in thanks.

“Her name’s Seraphim. One of my best, I gotta say.” Wiz grinned, unable to stop himself from bragging. “She’s produced some well-bred chicks too, as well as being well-bred herself. Won some awards back in the day.”

Ignis smiled, while Prompto was a fanatic Ignis himself was quite the fan of chocobos in his childhood. He remembered Noctis teasing him about it when they hit their teens and Ignis still had a stash of chocobo plushes hidden away in a box.

“You can pet her if you want.” Wiz chuckled as Seraphim let out a giant _KWEH_ of happiness, twisting her head to the side and staring at Ignis.

As silly as it seemed Ignis was as giddy as a child inside, though he tried not to let it show outwardly. Unable to hide a small grin of excitement he hesitantly stepped forward and held out a hand and waited for the chocobo to show her approval, the last thing anybody needed was for him to get bit by a chocobo. Underfoot he heard a small _squeek_ and looked down to see a small purple fluffball of a chocobo chick and realized it must have been a baby of Seraphim’s come to say hello to its mother, the chick nipped at his pant leg before zooming off in the direction of more baby chocobos. The Adviser smiled and returned his attentions to the fully grown chocobo in front of him, she had slowly moved forward, watching him carefully before closing her eyes and nudging his hand with an approving ~ _Kweh_.

Ignis ran a hand over her feathers and found them almost silk smooth, much to his surprise. He found that Wiz had walked off, dealing with a group of multicolored chicks, but left a bag of greens in a basket. Grabbing one, Seraphim’s eyes lit up and snatched the leafy bits out of his hand and munched joyfully. Suddenly a group of _squeks_ caught Ignis’ attention as he realized that Wiz was walking back up followed by the heard of baby chocobos.

“I must be getting back to Gladio, thank you again for the use of your washing machine.” Ignis said, nodding at Wiz with a grin still plastered on his face.

Wiz chuckled, “Anytime. If you ever wanna come to see any of the chocobos they’re all tame and love the attention.”

Ignis nodded and turned, hearing a sad _kweh_ from Seraphim when he stopped petting her. As Ignis walked to the RV once more he saw Rayz speaking to Noctis and Prompto.

“Ah, there you are. I suggest keeping him on bedrest for at least until tomorrow to ensure that he heals properly. I gave him a shot that should help with infection, but I recommend getting this prescription filled in Lestallum.” Rayz informed, handing a slip of paper to the Adviser with some medical jargon and a signature.

With that Rayz left, leaving the three in the RV alone in the front. The bedroom door was closed and silence lie beyond it, giving the three a moment to discuss how to proceed.

“Seeing as we’re here for the night why don’t you two turn in the hunt.” Ignis suggested, seeing already the excitement in Prompto’s eyes at being let loose near the chocobos unsupervised.

Prompto’s entire face lit up and he tugged on Noctis’ shirt sleeve until the other man gave in with a smirk and roll of his eyes. As soon as they closed the door behind them Ignis turned to look at the bedroom door. _Gladio is stable, or that doctor wouldn’t have left._ Ignis reassured himself as he took a deep breath and opened the door, sure enough, Gladio was asleep on the bed and Ignis sighed. His lover was fine--not that he had doubted Rayz, but  the actual act of _seeing_ with your own eyes brought an extra sense of peace. Ignis sat on the edge of the bed and brushed away hair from the front of the Shield’s face.

“You had me worried, you reckless man.” Ignis said gently to the slumbering giant, tenderly tracing the edge of his face and held a hand against his cheek as Ignis pressed a kiss to the man’s still-warm forehead.

Taking the washcloth that had been left on the side table--and inside a bowl that must have been brought in while he was out. It was filled with cool water and Ignis carefully grabbed the washcloth and ringing it out of excess water, he began to gently wipe off the sweat that had dried  on the other man’s body, he made sure to be especially careful around the now-stitched wound--Rayz must have removed Gladio’s shirt to stitch it, because it was neatly folded on a nearby surface--and moving down his arms before picking up the hand nearest to Ignis and placing a kiss upon its palm and holding it against his cheek for a moment. It was at this point that Gladio had begun to wake up and Ignis couldn’t help but stare into those honeyed eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: My chocobo's name is actually Seraphim and I decided to have some fun and have her make a guest appearance in here, lol. I love my girl.  
> I wanted to let you guys know that (for this fic at least) I'm going on hiatus because I've been pushing and forcing myself to continue writing this amongst all the tumultuous things going on in my life and have decided to put this away for now to come back to later when I'm feeling better. I can promise that this fanfic _isn't_ going to go unfinished because I hate leaving things not done, but for now... I'm going to have to step back. This story will be updating again before you know it. I do want to let you guys know that I'll be chopping this up into easier chunks though so that hopefully reading it won't feel so overwhelming with how long this baby is going to be, but once I'm through with that I'll be taking that break.  <3


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